Key to the Soul
by bizzleb
Summary: When the Keyblader Matt returns to the Dragon Realms, he expects a simple visit to see Spyro and Cynder again. However, a new threat will have him thrown back into a new adventure. Can Matt and a new dragoness stop a new threat before it's too late? R
1. Prologue

_**Well, everyone, I'm very excited to begin this sequel. If you haven't read Key to the Heart, I recommend you should, but you don't have to. I'm just going to say now there will be a few differences from that story to now. Like I said before, I'm steering more towards a Spyro story than Kingdom Hearts. For now, I"m ready to get started...**_

**_*flexes his fingers*_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own any Kingdom Hearts elements or Spyro characters. They belong to their respective owners. Matt is my human OC_**

* * *

In what was a vast universe filled with many stars and other worlds alike, a single ship was cruising through the wide spaces. A Gummi Ship. The ship was only one of a few of its kind, allowing the driver to venture through the black space and seek out worlds beyond their own. It surely was a special ship to say the least, but those characteristics weren't what made it special…it was its special cargo.

While the ship was flying on auto-pilot for the moment, a young human boy of nineteen was snoozing on a cot. He was a little taller than average, with a strong body type. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a white t-shirt with a red vest over it along with jet black shorts with blue trim. His feet were covered with white, ankle-length socks while his black sneakers layed on the floor.

To the naked eye, he was a normal human kid. However, he was known around the many worlds as not being an ordinary human. His name was Matt.

Matt had been granted an honor that rare few had been given. That honor was the ability to wield a weapon known only as the Keyblade, the most powerful weapon of good in existence. Matt's blade was blue on the handle with a long grey key attached to its end.

With the Keyblade, Matt had done many great things while fulfilling his destiny by protecting the worlds. He had met and befriended characters he thought only existed in fiction. When his journey had been completed, Matt decided that as long as the Keyblade stayed with him, he would make it his obligation to continue to guard the worlds from any darkness that threatened them.

For now, Matt had decided he wanted a quick snooze. Sometimes it had gotten so boring while traveling that he could do was sleep. He was looking forward to a good rest and to dream a good dream.

But this was no ordinary dream…

_Matt was back at his home, in his driveway. He was doing one of the things he loved to do the most, at that was shooting hoops._

_Bounce. Bounce. Swish!_

_Besides the bouncing and the swish of the basket, there was only silence._

_Bounce. Bounce. Swish!_

_Matt shot and shot and shot. He wasn't going to stop anytime soon. It didn't matter whether or not he made the basket or missed it, just as long as he could keep on shooting. The simple task of putting the ball in the hoop was his only focus. _

_When Matt was here, nothing else mattered. He didn't need to worry about Heartless or any kind of trouble that could come his way. It was here that he didn't have a care in the world. It was here that he felt at peace…_

_Suddenly, out of nowhere, Matt finally stopped. Somewhere, somehow, he could hear something…something bad…_

_*sniff* He could hear sobbing…crying…someone around him was sad._

_Matt picked up the ball and looked around him. There was no one in sight. _

"_Hello?" he asked. _

"_Help me...please help me…" It sounded like a girl's voice…a girl in pain…_

"_Hello?" Matt asked again. "Is anybody out there?" _

"_Someone…please help me…"_

"_Where are you? Hello?"_

_The voice sounded like it was oblivious to his presence. "I'm so alone…"_

_Matt dropped the ball and started running down the gravel road. He looked in every direction, but he was completely alone. The moans and sobs continued to fill Matt's ears._

"_I'm so afraid…," the voice said again. "I don't want to die…"_

"_Hey!" Matt yelled, trying desperately to get the person's attention. "I can help you! Where are you?" He tried to summon his Keyblade, but it was no use. "Huh?"_

"_Please…someone…anyone…help…"_

_Suddenly, Matt's heart seared with a burning pain. He cried and fell to his knees, clutching his chest. The pain was coursing throughout his entire body. The sobs continued to fill his mind. _

_Matt fell over to his back, begging for the torment to end. He had to find this girl and help her…but right now he couldn't even help himself. Within seconds, it felt like his heart would explode, causing him to scream his lungs out in agony…_

"Ahh!" Matt awoke with a start, covered in a cold sweat. He put his hand to his chest. His heart was beating pretty fast, but there wasn't any pain coming from it. He then buried his face in his hands. "Whoa…"

_What a dream…_ Matt thought. _It felt…so real. _

Matt knew that dreams like this were not to be taken lightly. What if there was actually someone out there who needed his help? Had they called out to him? He'd had stranger dreams before…

Sitting up straight, Matt slipped on his sneakers and moved over to the main screen. He wondered how long the ship had been on auto-pilot while he was out and where he could have drifted. After looking out the main window, Matt looked at the world ahead and smiled.

It was the world he knew as the Dragon Realms, where some of those very creatures existed. He had happened to befriend several of them during his first ever visit to the world. It had been a while since he had even set foot there.

Matt took a deep breath and stared off into space. He wondered how Spyro and Cynder were doing. He hadn't seen or heard from them since they'd helped him towards the end of his journey. That had been almost a year ago…

_You know…now might not be a bad time to check up on them. Why not? _He thought.

While there wasn't any Heartless activity the ship could detect, Matt was curious enough to want to check up on his friends to make sure everything was ok. The king hadn't warned him of anything recently, so what could it hurt?

Matt looked around and stole a gaze at his bed. The sobbing and crying was still ringing in his ears from the dream. He also remembered about the dream he had before arriving in the Dragon Realms for the first time.

He asked himself again…was there somebody out there who needed him that badly?

_Man…I'm letting all this traveling get to my head…_Matt thought. He smiled and shook his head around a little bit. There were plenty of people out there who needed his help to begin with. Whatever happened next would happen for a reason.

After punching in the coordinates, Matt began guiding his ship towards the Dragon Realms once more. "Alright then…here I go…" he said to himself.

What Matt didn't know was that there was a new adventure waiting for him…which would offer much more than he could ever bargain for…

* * *

_**What kind of danger will Matt face in the Dragon Realms this time around? Who is the one calling for him in his dreams? These questions will be answered soon, so I'd stay tuned. Please send a review with your thoughts or comments!**_

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	2. Long Time No See

_**Hey everyone! I guess I was hoping for a little more input for this story...but oh well. This chapter should be a little more eventful...**_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters. They belong to their rightful owners._**

* * *

Atop the highest building in Warfang, the dragon city, a young purple dragon was sitting and staring at the horizon. He was thinking. Thinking about all he had done, what he was doing now, and what might be in store for him in the future.

The land had been restored to what it once had been. The people had found new hope and had already begun the long process of picking themselves up and starting over.

Spyro was sure that the prophecy about him was now complete. Like Ignitus had said, he had made his mark on this generation. Not one evil had arisen since he and two good friends had defeated a darkness within himself that he never knew. It had almost consumed him, but against all the odds they had saved him.

The young dragon sighed. Ever since the day he learned he was a dragon, Spyro had done what the Guardians and the world had asked of him. Now that it was all over, he wasn't quite sure what to do with his life. What could he do?

Spyro looked up when he heard a the sound of flapping wings above. When he saw who it was, he smiled.

"I thought I'd find you up here," said a young black dragoness. She touched down at the top and settled down next to Spyro.

"Hey, Cynder," he replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, of course…" She rested her head on Spyro's neck. "Is something wrong, Spyro?"

"No, not really. Why would there be?"

"You just seem troubled, that's all."

Spyro sighed. "I don't know, Cynder. I was just thinking…"

"About what?"

"I was thinking about the future…and what I'm supposed to do now."

"Spyro," Cynder said. "You don't have to do anything now. Whatever happens next is up to you and you alone. Right?"

"I guess so," Spyro said. He stared into her eyes. "I know one thing for sure. Whatever does happen next, I'm grateful knowing you're here with me, Cynder."

"Likewise," she replied.

Suddenly, as they were about to embrace, both Spyro and Cynder felt a strange presence that hadn't been there moments before.

"You feel that?" Spyro asked. It wasn't a dark feeling that he felt.

"Yeah, what is it?" Cynder replied.

"It feels…familiar." They both widened their eyes.

"You don't think…?"

"Only one way to find out…"

* * *

It didn't take Matt long to land his ship on the outskirts of the dragon city. After concealing it as best as he possibly could, he started heading towards the city.

As he walked along, Matt looked and stole a glance at the mountain in the distance. Memories of the battle against Malchoir flashed through his mind. It had taken everything he and his dragon friends could in order to finish him off for good, but it had been worth it.

Before too long, Matt found himself standing in front of the city gates. He took a deep breath and reached for the door.

"MATT!"

Startled, the young man whirled around at the sound of his name. Two winged figures were coming right at him from above…and they were coming in too fast for him to get out of the way.

"Oh crap…," Matt mumbled. He closed his eyes and braced himself.

_Thud!_

Matt felt himself be tackled into the ground, landing hard on his back. He groaned in discomfort and opened his eyes to find the two dragons he had been thinking about moments before. "Hey, there you guys…," he mumbled.

"Matt, you came back! Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Spyro asked happily.

"It's so great to see you again," Cynder said, her face beaming.

"It's good to see you both too," Matt replied. His eyes darted from side-to-side. "Uh…can you please get off of me now?"

"Oh," Spyro said with a look of embarrassment on his face. "Sorry about that." They both managed to remove themselves from their human friend so he could get back on his feet.

After Matt brushed the dirt off himself, he looked over his two friends thoroughly. Though their normal features hadn't changed as much, Matt could tell they had both grown a little since the last time he saw them. Before, he had to look down in order to talk to them. Now, they both were tall enough to reach his chest. Their wings and claws had grown a couple inches as well.

Matt could only shake his head and chuckle. "Wow…"

"What's so funny?" Cynder asked.

"Nothing…it's just been a while."

"It sure has," Spyro said. "Cynder and I were wondering when you would ever be back."

"Well, here I am," Matt replied. "In the flesh.

"Wait," Cynder said. "There aren't any of those Heartless around are there?"

Matt shook his head. "Oh, no. Not at all. I didn't have a single Heartless reading when I got here."

"There isn't any trouble, is there?" Spyro asked.

"No, I'm sure. I just wanted to stop by and see how things were around here. That's all."

Spyro and Cynder both let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear," Cynder said.

"Have there been any problems around here recently?" Matt asked. "Anything at all?"

"No," Spyro shook his head. "It's been really quiet around here since you and your friends left. We haven't had to fight for a while."

"Speaking of your friends, how are Stitch and Pikachu?" Cynder asked.

"They're both alright as far as I know," Matt replied. "They're back in their own worlds with their families now. I still keep in touch. For now, I'm riding solo."

"That's a shame. It would've been nice to see them too."

"Well, Matt," Spyro spoke up. "If you wanted to check up on things here, why don't you come back with us to the Temple? I'm sure the Guardians would want to see how you've been as well."

"That sounds great," Matt replied. "I'd be happy to."

"I'd better warn you now. Volteer will probably ask you a million questions about the human race."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Cynder added. "He and Cyril haven't stopped talking about it."

"Oh boy…"

"Don't worry about it, Matt," Spyro assured him. "If it comes to that, we'll get you out of there in no time."

"Thanks, Spyro. Well…you guys want to lead the way?" He turned and opened the gates into the dragon city.

"Right this way," Cynder said as she and Spyro stepped forward.

As Matt began to follow them, he thought he heard a small cry. _Help me…_

"Huh?" he asked. He whirled his head around, but there was nothing there to see. Matt turned his head back towards the mountain one more time.

_Ok…this is getting really weird…_ he thought.

Matt shook his head one more time and followed Spyro and Cynder through the gates and into the city.

* * *

_**Good times...good times..**_

**_Hope you liked this chap for now. I'll try to update ASAP. In the mean time, I'd really like to know what you think. I'd be willing to listen to any suggestions as well. All I'll say is that the best is yet to come..._**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	3. Call to Action

_**Hey everyone, sorry for the late update. Here is where things get a little interesting...**_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters. They belong to their respective owners. I do own Matt, my OC._**

* * *

When Matt first entered the city along with Spyro and Cynder, he couldn't help but say it. "Wow…"

The last time he'd seen the city of Warfang, it had been devastated by all of the fighting and war that had taken place. There had been debris as far as the eye could see. Many buildings had been partially or completely destroyed. It was a wonder that anything could still live in the city back then.

For a minute, the young Keyblader wasn't sure if he had arrived in the same city or not. This Warfang looked the exact opposite from the one he'd known. All of the structures had been rebuilt to perfection. They looked even better than before. They varied in several heights and colors. On the ground, the scene looked just as good. The streets were filled with life, with several stores and vendors lining the main avenue as far as the eye could see.

What made Matt beam the most was the sight of the people, whether they be mole or cheetah or any other species that resided there. Instead of looks of gloom and despair, there were smiles and cheer etched on several faces. Had this really been a city that had been ravaged by war?

"Man," Matt bellowed. "The city…it looks so great. I don't believe it."

Spyro nodded in agreement. "It sure does. The moles did a really great job in rebuilding. They're a lot more capable than they look, that's for sure." Matt also asked if he and Cynder had helped in the rebuilding process as well.

"Yes, we did our part too," Cynder spoke up. She sighed. "The work itself wasn't easy, but it was definitely worth it to see the people happy."

Matt then hung his head. "Geez you guys…I feel kinda bad. Maybe I could've helped out too…I forgot how bad a shape this place was in when my friends and I left before. Sorry…"

"Don't be," Spyro said. "Matt, you've done more for us and the people than we could ever ask for."

"But, Spyro…"

"No buts," Cynder added with a grin. "We appreciate the concern, but you don't need to feel bad about it."

"Besides," Spyro exclaimed. "You help more people than we ever could…isn't that job tough enough?

Matt looked up again. He smiled. "I guess you have a point there…sounds good."

The trio continued to roam the main street on their trek to the new Dragon Temple. Several moles and other creatures bidded Spyro and Cynder a greeting with praise when they passed, but that wasn't all they were saying. Matt was catching a few bits that were maybe about him.

"Hey, look!"

"Is that the…?"

"Yeah, it's that human!"

"Not just that. It's the Keyblade master!"

"The one who helped Spyro and Cynder?"

"Yeah, that one!"

"Amazing…"

Matt scratched his head and laughed nervously. "Guess I made more of an impression here than I thought…"

"What did you expect, Matt? You and your friends helped save this city! You didn't think anyone would forget, did you?" Spyro said.

"Besides," Cynder added. "It's hard for everyone not to notice a human around here."

"There still aren't any more around here besides me?" Cynder shook her head no. "Oh boy…"

Within minutes, the trio arrived in front of the new Dragon Temple. Matt gazed in awe as he couldn't believe how much better it looked now that it was fully complete. It was easily the highest building in the whole city. There were new dragon statues that stood at its gates, which made Matt feel inferior in their presence.

"Home sweet home," Spyro said.

"Nice…" Matt replied.

Spyro and Cynder went on to give Matt a quick tour to show how improved the Temple really had become. A year of construction had done it some good. The walls were lined with paintings of dragons of past and present. He saw the new training room, which resembled the old one Matt remembered from playing the first game. There was also several well-fashioned bedrooms along with a library that was filled with mountains of books. There was also a dining area with a long table that could seat several.

The last stop was the balcony, which Matt remembered overlooked the entire city. Matt leaned against the railing and stared out at the sights for a few moments. He shook his head in awe.

"Wow…," he exclaimed softly. He turned to Spyro and Cynder, who had joined him along the railing. "I still can't believe it. Was there really a war here? Did I really fight here?"

They both nodded with him in agreement. "It still is kind of hard to believe," Cynder said.

"But we've made it work," Spyro added.

They each continued to stare in awe for a few more minutes. Matt looked at the valley and the mountain in the distance. The adventures in this world still filled his mind.

"So…?" Matt then asked. "What about you two? If I remember correctly, you guys were a pretty happy couple when I left."

"We couldn't be better," Spyro replied. He looked at Cynder with affection, and she did the same.

"Let's just say Spyro and I have gotten to know each other better lately," she said.

"Any plans for the future?" Matt asked with a grin.

The two dragons both blushed. "Well…," Spyro said. "I think right now…we just take it one day at a time."

Cynder nodded. "Yeah, we just want to take it easy and enjoy ourselves for now."

"Oh…," Matt replied. "I see…" He winked in understanding.

After a few moments, Spyro and Cynder looked at each other and nodded. "Hey, Matt," Spyro said.

"Yeah?"

"Cynder and I have been wondering…how are _you_ holding up?"

Matt narrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well…you said you've been by yourself for a while," Cynder replied.

Matt turned around and leaned backward on the railing. He stared at the ground. "It's no big deal. Yeah…I do miss Stitch and Pikachu, but they had to go back…"

"We just thought maybe you were feeling lonely, that's all," Spyro added. He paused. "We heard about what happened…"

"We're so sorry, Matt," Cynder spoke. "We really are. You didn't deserve what happened to you."

"Not after all you've been through," Spyro added.

Matt sighed. "Well…it's not easy thinking about it. Sometimes I wish that everything could have worked out differently, but it didn't." He hung his head. "I won't lie to you guys, it has been lonely sometimes…"

"Are you going to be alright?" Cynder asked.

Matt looked up and nodded. "Yeah…I'm sure. You guys don't have to worry about me, really…but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it." He smiled and paused. "Thanks…"

"Anytime," Spyro and Cynder said together.

Suddenly, something zoomed in from inside the temple and interrupted their conversation. Matt looked up to see who it was and found a small, golden dragonfly hovering in the air. He was panting heavily.

"Hey, Spyro! The big cat sent me to…" Sparx paused and noticed Matt. A smile soon draped his face. "Hey, kid! Since when did you get back?"

"Hey, Sparx! Good to see you! I just got back a little bit ago," the young human replied. "Spyro and Cynder showed me around. How are you doing?"

"Aww…I've been good," Sparx replied. "I've just been doing my thing, which is mainly picking up the slack for these two lugs over here." He motioned to Spyro and Cynder.

"And what's that supposed to mean, Sparx?" Spyro asked.

"You know what I mean. Now that the city is nice and finished, all you two do is sit around on your fat behinds all day."

"So then what are you doing?" Matt asked with his arms crossed.

Sparx paused. "Uh…that's for me to know and for you find out."

Matt, Spyro, and Cynder all rolled their eyes and shook their heads. Same old Sparx.

"So you were saying, Sparx?" Spyro asked.

"Oh, right," Sparx started. "The big cat asked me to ask you to come and meet up with the Guardians by the big pool ASAP."

"What for?" Cynder asked.

"He just said it was important and you absolutely had to be there, so get your behinds in gear." The dragonfly flew off in that direction.

"C'mon, Matt," Spyro said.

"You sure I should come?" Matt asked. "What if the Guardians say something?"

"Don't worry about it," Cynder said. "Like I said, they're dying to see you again."

"Alright, then."

Matt followed his dragon friends through the halls of the Temple. They went past most of the rooms until they entered a large corridor that led into a very large room. In the middle was a large pool of greenish water. Waiting for them were three huge dragons. Their colors were yellow, green, and blue respectively.

A small smile fell on each of their faces when they saw Matt enter along with Spyro and Cynder. "Ah, the Keyblade warrior," the Earth Guardian, Terrador, spoke. "We've been expecting you. It's a pleasure to see you once more."

"A pleasure indeed," Cyril, the Guardian of Ice, added. Volteer, the Guardian of Electricity, nodded his head in agreement. He seemed to shake with excitement at the young human's presence.

Matt bowed with respect to them all. "Glad to be back and to see you all again."

"What brings you back to the Dragon Realms, young warrior?" Terrador asked.

"I'm just visiting to see how things were going around here. It's great to see the city and the temple in such great shape."

"Indeed," Volteer spoke up. "This new age has been quite prosperous. The people are just inflatuated with excitement. It couldn't be more astounding."

Terrador cleared his throat, which made Volteer quiet. "Anyways…you are more than welcome here, young warrior. You've earned our gratitude from your past deeds, along with a debt we can never repay. Please, stay as long as you wish."

Matt smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much."

Spyro and Cynder nodded and smiled for Matt as well, then Spyro spoke up. "So what is it that you asked us here for, Terrador?"

Terrador cleared his throat again. "Well, Spyro. Cynder. We believe that we may have finally found another living dragon."

The two young dragons gasped. Matt's eyes widened along with theirs. He hadn't thought about any other dragons that could be out there or if there were any left. He also hadn't seen one other dragon throughout the entire city.

"Really?" Cynder asked. "Where?"

Volteer sighed. "That's the problem…we're not exactly sure where this dragon actually is."

"What?" Spyro asked. "How is that possible?"

"We aren't sure," Cyril replied. "While we've been able to get a good fix on this dragon's life energy, it seems that our vision cannot pinpoint where they could be."

"That isn't all," Terrador added. "It seems that our vision has been clouded due a presence of dark forces."

Spyro and Cynder along with Matt looked on with disbelief. "No way!" Spyro spoke up. "Are you saying there's still something out there?"

"I thought all of the dark forces had been destroyed," Cynder added.

"Make no mistake about it young ones," Terrador said. "Malefor's forces have dwindled to the point to where they do not pose a threat to the city or this world. Whatever remains has been driven into hiding. However, there is a good chance that these forces have found and captured this dragon as a last ditch effort."

"Those cowards…," Spyro mumbled. He gritted his teeth and shook his head in frustration. "When will they just give up and let us be?"

"Spyro. You and Cynder must go and find this dragon before it's too late. Our race can't afford another loss. We will get you as close as we can to their location, but it will be up to you to neutralize this force if you can as well."

The look on Spyro's face quickly became a determined one. "Ok, then. We'll do it."

"You can count on us," Cynder added. "We'll find this new dragon and bring them back safe and sound."

"We wouldn't expect any less of you both," Cyril added.

During the whole time this mission was discussed, Matt had been quietly listening. The more and more he heard, the more felt inclined to help. While it was true he was only to interfere in a world's affairs when a Heartless or strong evil was present, he couldn't ignore this.

Without hesitating, Matt stepped forward. "Right, I want to go too."

"What?" Spyro asked. "Matt…?" He and Cynder both stared at him.

"You heard me, Spyro. I'm going to help you guys find this dragon too."

"You don't have to, you know," Cynder said. "You just got here."

"I know, but I want to." Matt turned to the Guardians. "Please, Terrador. I think it would be a good idea if I help Spyro and Cynder with this mission. We can cover more ground and I can help with any enemies we may find. Please…let me help."

Terrador, Volteer, and Cyril exchanged looks. They all seemed to agree as they all nodded their heads together.

"Very well then, Matt," Terrador spoke. "It would be foolish to refuse the help of a Keyblade warrior, but even more to refuse yours in particular."

"Thank you," Matt said.

"No, young one," Cyril said. "Thank you."

"Matt…," Spyro walked up to his friend. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Matt nodded. "I'm dead sure. C'mon, it'll be like old times."

"Well alright then. It's good to have you with us." Spyro extended his paw and shook Matt's hand, sealing the deal. Their mission had now officially begun.

* * *

_**Alright, that's enough for now. Stay tuned as our heroes head out into the world next chapter! Stay tuned. Send a review too if you'd like!**_

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	4. Around the Campfire

_**Hey everyone! Hope I didn't keep everyone waiting too long! I am still hoping for a little more feedback on this fic, but as they say beggars can't be choosers.**_

_**I just want to get across that the updates to this story will probably not be as frequent because of other commitments (aka, work) I'll do my best to update as often as I can.**_

**_To the fan who asked about my Next Generation series, I sort of have that on hold for now, but I plan to continue it sometime in the near future. Thanks for the support and I'm glad you like it!_**

_**So, without furter ado...**_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their rightful owners. Matt is an OC of mine._**

* * *

Matt, Spyro, and Cynder agreed that the three of them, along with Sparx, would head out on their journey as soon as possible. The quicker they could leave the city, the faster they could reach the dragon that possibly needed their help. There was no doubt that time was of the essence.

Their destination was a large valley that was a great distance from Warfang. They would have to cross the ocean, then work their way through a large forest before coming across a huge lake, known as Pioneer's Lake. Unfortunately, that was as close as the Guardians could get them.

Matt agreed to meet the rest of the group outside the city gates as soon as he returned to his Gummi Ship and gathered up some supplies he would need. Spyro and Cynder would do the same.

"Good luck to you all," Terrador said before the group left them. "And may the Ancestors watch over you."

"May they also watch over the dragon you will hopefully bring back as well," Cyril added.

When the group left the room, Matt bid farewell to his friends and hurried off to his ship. After he was out of sight, Cynder turned to Spyro.

"Spyro," she said. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What's up?"

A look of concern filled the eyes of the black dragoness. "It's about Matt. Are you sure it's a good idea that he goes on this mission? I'm glad he's coming with us…but I'm worried…"

"About what?" Spyro narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe Matt wants to help us so badly because he feels lonely. He admitted he was feeling that way without Stitch and Pikachu. If he isn't feeling right, he could get hurt out there."

Spyro placed a paw on Cynder's shoulder. "Look, Cynder. I won't say I'm not concerned about Matt too, but we can't refuse his help. We both know he's got a good heart and only wants to do what he can."

"I know. I just hope he's doing this for the right reasons."

Spyro smiled and nodded. "Right now, we've got a job to do. There's a fellow dragon out there who needs us."

* * *

Matt didn't usually take anything with him when he visited worlds, but seeing as how he would need to stay a couple of days he decided to go against that for now. He had plenty of supplies on board just in case, and now was a good time to use them. Matt quickly filled up his backpack with enough food, water, and spare clothes to last him a few days.

"Alright," he mumbled. "That ought to do. Just one more thing." He extended his hand forward. In a flash, his most important possession appeared in his grip.

His Keyblade was shaped just like a regular one, except it's handle was a shade of blue. A small crown-shaped keychain was attached to the end of the handle. As usual, Matt felt the blade's energy flow into him, giving him a sense of power. With this weapon of good, he felt he could do anything.

After he was finished packing, Matt did his best to hide the ship once again. He didn't need anyone taking it out for a joyride. The ship in the wrong hands would be dangerous, if not a catastrophe. When it was all done, the young human quickly hurried towards the Warfang gates.

When Matt arrived, he found Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx already waiting for them. They all turned their heads to see his arrival.

"Hey there, Matt. Glad you could make it. Are you all set?" Spyro asked.

"Yep," Matt replied. "I'm ready to go."

"Ok, then." He and Cynder flapped their wings together and hovered above the ground above Matt's head. Spyro lowered his paws. "Grab on, Matt! Cynder and I can take turns carrying you!"

Matt looked up at Spyro in surprise. "Spyro, you don't have to carry me!"

"What are you talking about?"

"How else are we going to take you with us?" Cynder asked.

"Yeah, kid," Sparx added. "If my eyes are correct, you're the only one here who doesn't have wings."

Matt laughed. "That's true, Sparx. Luckily, I have this." He closed his eyes and extended his hand once more. Concentrating as hard as he could, Matt was able to summon his Keyblade again…but it wasn't the same one from before. This new Keyblade now had a dragon's head for a handle. The blade was a long one with two wing-like spikes on its side. A small dragon head keychain dangled from the handle now. (A.N. Anyone remember this?)

When Spyro and Cynder saw the new blade, they both nodded their heads. "Oh, right," Spyro said.

"I forgot," Cynder added.

Sparx scratched his head. "Huh? I don't get it. Since when did you get that?"

"Oh, this?" Matt asked. He cut the air with the blade. "This blade is what helped Spyro, Cynder, and I beat Malchoir."

"So? How is that gonna help?" Sparx asked. Spyro and Cynder both put a paw to their mouths to hide their laughter.

"Because it lets me do this," Matt replied. He closed his eyes and slowly felt his feet leave the ground. He soon found himself face to face with the others while floating in midair. Spyro and Cynder both breathed a sigh of relief knowing they wouldn't have to carry a passenger.

"Thank the Ancestors for that," Spyro said.

Sparx stared at him with his eyes wide open and his jaw to the floor. "You gotta be kidding me? How did you…?"

"That blade lets him fly, Sparx," Cynder exclaimed. "It's his version of wings." Matt and Spyro shared a chuckle with her at the comment.

"Whatever," Sparx mumbled. He folded his arms and pouted in defeat.

"Alright, then," Spyro exclaimed. "Let's get moving."

Together, the group began their journey. Sparx led the way with Matt in the middle with Spyro and Cynder behind them both.

As they kept rising higher and higher, Matt kept a firm grip on his blade so he could stay in the air. He gripped it even tighter after looking down and seeing the world below. He gulped and quickly looked back up.

Matt took in a deep breath of fresh air. He was lucky. Not every human got the opportunity to fly like this. While he kept his eyes on Sparx in front of him, he enjoyed the thrill for as long as he could.

"WHAAAHOOOOO!" He screamed with joy. Spyro and Cynder could only laugh at their friend as he soared with delight.

It didn't occur to the young human that the time flew by so fast while they were in the air. Soon, the vast ocean came into Matt's view. He had been to several before, but this one looked pretty cool in itself. He almost didn't hear Spyro calling to him from behind.

"Matt! Let's touch down on that beach!"

"Why?" Matt asked. He saw below where Spyro was talking about.

"We need a place to rest for the night," Cynder yelled. "We can't go any farther today!"

When Matt looked at the position of the sun on the horizon, he realized what Cynder had meant. It was almost completely out of view, meaning night would be falling upon them soon. While he didn't want to stop, Matt knew deep down that Spyro and Cynder were correct. Not only would it be foolish to fly blindly at night, the whole group would need to be at full strength if they encountered any danger.

Matt turned his head back and nodded towards his dragon companions that he agreed with them. He yelled to Sparx ahead of him of their plan. Together, the group descended until they all touched down on the white, sandy beach below.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Matt immediately felt dizzy. "Whoa," he clutched his head and wobbled back and forth on the sand.

"You alright, kid?" Sparx asked.

"I feel really funny," Matt replied. He shook his head several times. "Like my head is heavier…"

Spyro nodded. "Don't worry about it, Matt. You're probably not used to flying on your own that much. You probably need some time to adjust to the different altitudes."

Matt nodded back in agreement. "Yeah…guess you're right. I haven't done that since we faced Malchoir…"

"You should try and take it easy tonight," Cynder exclaimed. "We have a lot of searching to do tomorrow."

"Right," Spyro agreed. "Once we cross the ocean, Pioneer's Lake should be somewhere inside the mainland. We'll go from there after that."

"Ok, sounds like a plan," Matt replied with a nod. He looked around the scene around them, his eyes training for a good spot. There were a few large rocks and chunks of trees scattered all over, which meant comfort wasn't going to be much of a luxury for the group tonight.

"Well, looks like we'll just have to sleep in the sand…," Matt bellowed. "That's probably the best we can do."

Spyro sighed. "Oh well. We'll just have to make due. Matt, why don't you get a fire going from some of this debris? Cynder and I will go look for something to eat."

"Oh…ok," Matt replied. He noticed that neither Spyro or Cynder had brought any food with them. He had assumed they might hunt or gather for themselves, but he still was willing to save them the trouble.

"Are you sure you guys don't want some of my food?" He patted his rupsack. "I've got plenty to share."

"That's alright," Cynder replied. "We appreciate the offer, but Spyro and I can take care of ourselves."

"Trust us," Spyro added. "We won't go hungry." The young dragon formed a smile that made Matt believe him without question.

"Ok, then. What about you, Sparx?" Matt asked.

"It's tempting," the dragonfly replied. "But I'll pass too. I think I smelled some butterflies over in that direction, and a few have my name on them." With that, Sparx soared away in excitement.

"We'll be right back in a little bit," Spyro then said. He and Cynder then took to the air once again and headed back towards the mainland in their search for a meal as well.

Matt sighed. "Better hurry and get this fire going…"

For the next several minutes, Matt gathered as much wood, big and small, as he could find. Next, he found several small stones and formed a small fire pit around the fuel so that no sparks or flames could escape. When he felt it was all ready, Matt called for his Keyblade. He pointed the tip of his blade at the wood.

"Firaga," he muttered. A spark of fire flew from the end and started a small orange glow between the different pieces. Matt used the spell a couple more times before he had himself a full raging inferno.

The young human put his hands up to the flames. He had made sure that the fire pit was far enough away from the ocean water so that it wouldn't go out. With a little luck, the blaze would last him and his friends the entire night.

While he waited for the others to return, Matt stared into the flames. He thought about what he, Spyro, and Cynder had talked about earlier. Had he really felt that lonely lately? Stitch and Pikachu's faces flashed in his mind. He wondered what they could possibly be doing at this very moment…

Suddenly, Matt heard the sounds of flapping once more from above. He craned his head to see that both Spyro and Cynder had returned…and they certainly hadn't come back empty handed. In their claws were several dead rodents, including a few rabbits and squirrels each.

Matt chuckled nervously. "Man, you two sure went to work."

Spyro nodded. "Trust me, Matt. These taste a lot better than they look…and they'll taste even better after we use that fire you made. Good job."

"Thanks," Matt replied.

Cynder looked at her kills with hunger in her eyes. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving…"

Matt felt himself sweat a little after that. "Boy am I glad I'm on your side."

Spyro and Cynder both laughed at him. "C'mon, Matt," Cynder exclaimed. "We wouldn't eat you! Gross!

"That's good," Matt replied. "Besides, I bet I taste horrible anyway…" They all shared a chuckle. The two dragons then cooked their kills while Matt picked out his meal for the night. He settled on a few sticks of jerky, some peanuts, and a chocolate bar.

Before Matt could chow down, the last of their group returned in Sparx. He was flying slower than before, and was rubbing his stomach.

"Oh, did that ever hit the spot…," Sparx mumbled happily. He then unleashed a loud belch.

Spyro rolled his eyes and shook his head. "That's my brother for you…"

Soon, he, Cynder, and Matt began to get their fill. The young human tried to look away while his dragon friends ripped and teared at their prey. The sounds of bones crunching and the tearing of flesh were almost enough to make Matt lose his appetite.

When his food was consumed, Matt then reached into his bag for one of his canteens filled with fresh water. He took a few swigs of the cold beverage and felt his throat clear.

"Hey, Matt," Spyro exclaimed. "Sorry to ask, but do you think Cynder and I could…?"

"Of course," Matt handed his canteen over to Cynder first, who then gave it to Spyro as well. They each took a long drink of the fresh water.

"Much better," Cynder said. "Thanks, Matt." Spyro also nodded in thanks.

"No problem," he replied.

The group then spent the next few minutes staring at the fire. Sparx, to everyone's surprise, managed to fall asleep almost instantly. It gave Matt a chance to ask Spyro another question.

"So…," he began. "There haven't been any dragons that came back yet at all?"

Spyro shook his head. "It's sad, but true. Even after all this time…Cynder and I are one of the few dragons left. The Guardians have searched with all their might, but until now they couldn't find any of those who could possibly be in hiding."

"It would be nice to see other dragons for a change," Cynder exclaimed.

"I'm sure there are some out there," Matt assured them. "I just can't see dragons dying out. You as a race are way too stubborn for that."

Spyro smiled a little. "I hope your right."

After a few more minutes of chatter, Spyro and Cynder decided that it was time to get some shut-eye. Matt yawned in agreement. It surely had been a long day.

The two dragons curled up next to each other, with a wing over each other's bodies to help keep warm. "Good night," they both said to Matt before finally dozing off.

"Night." Matt layed down on his back. He had found a good rock to prop his pack against earlier to rest his head against. It was as close as he was going to get to a pillow. As he stared up into the cloudless night, he felt waves of relaxation come over him. The warmth of the fire made it even better. He closed his eyes…

_Matt found himself driving along a country road. He was in his old, green car that somehow still managed to run. With one hand on the wheel, and the other resting against on the seat next to him, he stared into the endless road ahead. It would lead him to his home that was surrounded by cornfield, where his family would be waiting for him._

_The country side looked beautiful around him. A small breeze rustled the few trees around him. The sun was setting magnificently in the west. Besides the sound of the car running, all seemed quiet. _

_Suddenly, the peace was interrupted as Matt heard the same sound that had been disturbing him in past dreams._

_The sound of someone crying in pain. It wasn't too loud, but just barely audible enough for Matt's ears to catch._

"_Help me…Someone…please…"_

_Matt gasped. He immediately slammed on the brakes, making his car stop to a screeching halt. He quickly whipped himself out of the vehicle and looked around him. There was nothing but countryside as far as the eye could see. _

"_Helloooo! Anybody out there?" He heard himself echo._

_All that answered Matt was even more moaning and sobbing._

"_Please!" He shouted. "What do you want?"_

_The sobs soon got louder, filling Matt's ears. He then felt that same aching pain coming from his heart. He placed his hand over his chest. _

"_Why are you doing this to me?" he yelled again. _

_The pain from his heart became so intense, that he fell to his side. It felt like it would explode any second now. _

"_Spyro! Cynder!" he called for his friends. "AAAAHHH!"_

Matt gasped and awoke with a start. He found himself looking into the fire once more, which had died down some since he dozed off. He looked over and found he had not woken anyone to his relief. He then placed his head in his hands, which were both in a cold sweat. It was another nightmare. This one felt even worse than the last one did.

_These dreams…they can't be a coincidence…_he thought. Could the lost dragon actually be calling _him?_ Was that even possible?

Matt sighed. "Guess I'll just have to find out…," he whispered. He leaned his head back against the pack and stared at the stars, half-wishing they could give him an answer.

* * *

_**I hope this chapter was entertainning enough for you all. I'll admit, it's kind of a filler, but I can say it's going to get more intense here pretty soon. Please review with any thoughts, comments, or critique you may have. **_

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	5. A New Discovery

_**Hey everyone! Thanks to all those who've supported this story so far. I know a lot of people say it, but it really helps me keep going and brightens my day. Without further ado, let's continue...**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. I also don't own the Keyblade. They belong to their respective owners.**_

* * *

Matt found sleeping for the rest of the evening a chore. He kept dozing in and out of consciousness, trying to get to a full recovery. The thought of having another nightmare filled with cries of pain was just too much.

To Matt's relief, the morning sun came and shined down brightly on he and his companions. He wasted no time in putting out what remained of the fire by stomping down on the ashes several times.

Spyro and Cynder each managed to awaken within minutes after him, with Sparx quickly following suit. They all yawned and stretched out their bodies in order to get their energy flowing again. It seemed as though they were oblivious to Matt having woken suddenly in the middle of the night.

Everyone but Sparx agreed that they needed to cross the ocean as soon as possible. The sooner they reached the forest on the other side, the better. Matt quickly threw his rupsack on and summoned his Dragon's Fury blade back to his hand.

"Ready everyone?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah, let's get moving," Matt replied. Cynder nodded as well, while Sparx groaned in discomfort.

The group was in the air within seconds, with the sight of land disappearing within minutes. The sun was at their backs, meaning they wouldn't have to strain their eyes during the long flight. Matt felt the heat bearing down on him, causing him to sweat with perspiration, but he wasn't going to slow down anytime soon. He continued to hold on to his Dragon's Fury blade as hard as he could, not wanting to take a morning dip in the middle of the sea.

The time dragged by slowly as the group continued on. Each of them was concentrating hard on their individual flights. All that Matt could think about was getting to the mainland. As much as he enjoyed flying freely in the open air, the young human quickly realized that he was built to stay on the ground. Matt also was anxious to get to the lost dragon. The possibility of him or her having called him in his dreams continued to nag his thoughts, like a thorn in his mind that wouldn't go away.

Suddenly, Matt heard Sparx's voice ahead of him. "Land, ho!" he yelled.

The young human strained his eyes to find something dark and solid forming in the distance. A smile etched his face as he motioned back to Spyro and Cynder of the discovery.

After a few more minutes of flight, the group finally reached the mainland. A deep, luscious forest greeted them. Spyro motioned for everyone to keep going for a little while longer so they could get their exact bearings.

The first thing Matt could tell about this new area was that the trees reached sky high. Their leaves seemed to spread for yards and yards from each trunk. To put it more simply, it was nearly impossible to see anything on the ground from their point-of-view.

Cynder seemed to notice this as well. "It's no use. I can't see a thing down there."

"Me too," Spyro answered her back. "Let's find Pioneer's Lake first. It shouldn't be too far from here."

"Alright," Matt yelled from ahead of them.

After about five more minutes, Sparx caught eye of what appeared to be a large body of water. "Is that it?" he asked.

"I think so," Spyro replied. "Terrador said we couldn't miss it."

"I don't think we missed it, Spyro," Cynder exclaimed. "Look!"

Matt widened his eyes as they got even closer. From what he could tell, this body of water stretched out for miles. "Whoa…it's huge!" he yelled. He turned back to Spyro and asked if they should go ahead and touch down here.

"Yeah," Spyro replied. "Sounds like a plan. Let's go!"

Soon, everyone was back on the firm ground. They stood on one side of the vast Pioneer's Lake, surrounded by vegetation.

Spyro then expressed a concern he'd been pondering while overhead. "I think you'd all agree with me that this is a pretty, large area. This lake must go on for miles. It will take days to search this place completely."

"The problem is," Cynder spoke up. "We don't have a few days, Spyro. That dragon needs our help now." Matt nodded with her in agreement.

"Right," Spyro replied. "Which is why I was thinking…maybe we should split up. We'll be able to cover more ground in less time."

Matt pondered over his friend's decision in his mind. "Hmm…," he mumbled.

"Split the dream team?" Sparx asked. "C'mon bro, you sure that it's a good idea?"

"Spyro has a point, Sparx," Cynder exclaimed. "Although it's a little risky, we may be able to find the dragon faster before it's too late. We can all take care of ourselves."

"What do you think, Matt?" Spyro asked.

Matt sighed. "I'm not so sure either, but Cynder makes a good point. We don't have a lot of time."

Spyro nodded. "It's settled then. Matt, why don't you and Sparx search along this side of the lake. Cynder and I will fly across to the other side and see what we can find."

Matt nodded and turned to Sparx. He noticed a look of disbelief on the dragonfly's face to his surprise. Sparx then opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but then stopped. His eyes fell to the ground.

Matt then turned back to Spyro. "Alright, that's ok with me." The team then decided on a plan in case any of them were in any serious danger. Either Spyro or Matt would send a stream of fire into the sky using their respective method as a signal. If neither group could find anything, they'd meet back in that same spot later that night.

"Alright, then," Spyro said. "Like Matt said, we have no time to lose." He took a long look at his companions. "Good luck, you two."

"And please be careful," Cynder added. "Don't hesitate to call if you need any help."

"We'll be fine," Matt replied. "You guys just be safe true."

After they were finished, Spyro and Cynder took to the skies once again. They both flew over the surface across the lake and disappeared out of Matt's sight.

"You ready then, Sparx?" Matt asked.

The gold dragonfly nodded. "I'm always ready, kid. Let's go!"

For the next few minutes, Matt began walking through the vast forest while Sparx floated alongside him. They decided to stay several yards away from the lakeshore so they could keep it in sight. Matt's eyes were focused on any sign of life at all, but it was proving difficult to see anything but green.

They continued on for several minutes, before Matt decided to break the silence.

"So…?" he asked with his voice low. "What happened back there, Sparx?"

Sparx narrowed his brow at his human companion. "What? I don't know what you're talking about?"

"You don't have to hide it," Matt said. "You didn't like the idea splitting up did you?"

"What made you think that?"

"Well…it was kind of obvious on the look on your face. C'mon, man. What's bugging you?"

Sparx sighed, then put his arms behind his head. "Spyro's idea wasn't bad…it's just…well…"

Matt then took a guess. "You still don't have a problem with Cynder, do you?"

"What? The she-dragon? No way! We're cool, we're cool. Spyro's crazy about her. Why would I have a problem with her?"

"I don't know, Sparx. You tell me."

Sparx looked at the ground. "Well….the thing is…" He shook his head. "I guess I feel kind of left out sometimes…that's all."

"What do you mean by that?"

"C'mon kid, it's obvious he'd rather spend time with her than with me. You saw it, the first chance he got, he dumped me so he could be alone with her. As if they weren't alone together enough…"

Matt nodded. "I see…"

"Yeah, why hang out with old Sparx when he's got another dragon to hang out with?"

"Look, Sparx," Matt began. "You and Spyro have known each other for your entire lives. You've stuck together through thick and thin. That's got to count for something right?"

"I guess so…"

"The thing is, Sparx, you and Cynder have something in common. You both would do anything for Spyro because you both care about him that much, and I'm sure he feels the same way."

"Yeah…that's kinda true..." Sparx paused. "I guess I haven't said anything because she makes him so darn happy, and what kind of brother would I be to break that up, right? He and my parents would kill me."

Matt laughed at the dragonfly's comment. "Good point."

"Since when did you become such a shrink, kid?" Sparx asked. "We're on a big, dangerous mission, yet we're still talking about my problems in life.

"I don't know," Matt replied. "When you do what I do, you do a lot of heart-to-heart stuff. I guess I've had a lot of practice at it."

"Dude…you are so weird."

Before Matt could say something back, he felt a strange presence close to him…and it wasn't a good feeling presence. It was one that sent a chill up his spine.

Sparx noticed the concerned expression on Matt's face. "Geez, kid? You look like you've…"

Before Sparx could finish, the Keyblader grabbed a hold of the dragonfly and put a hand over his mouth. He then dived into some large bushes to their right side. Sparx managed to pronounce something beneath the young human's grip. "Kid, what are you…?"

"SShhh…," Matt whispered with a finger on his mouth. "Quiet." Keeping Sparx tightly in his hands, he peered underneath the shrubbery…and saw two pairs of feet walking past them. As Matt strained his eyes upward to get a better look at what the feet belonged, his eyes widened.

_Apes…_ He thought. They looked exactly like Matt remembered them from the games, and they were a lot uglier. They each wore a black helmet on their heads, along with dark armor on their chests, arms, and legs. Each ape also carried a well-crafted swords in their hands, which they were using to brush the shrubs out of their way.

Matt quickly hoped that maybe the enemies would go right past him and Sparx without seeing them…but suddenly the feet stopped.

"What are you stopping for?" One of the apes bellowed with a rough voice.

"You haven't noticed it?" The other replied. "I thought I smelled something funny."

Matt's heart stopped. He felt Sparx shake beneath his fingers.

"You idiot," the first one said. I'll tell you what I smell. It's your foul odor. When was the last time you took a bath?"

"Uhh…I don't know…"

"Exactly…now come on. We're late as it is without you slowing us down."

Matt couldn't believe it. He watched as the two enemies slowly disappeared from sight. When he felt it was safe enough, he and Sparx emerged from the bushes once more.

"That was too close," Matt said. "Sorry about that, Sparx. You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Sparx replied. "Man, I haven't seen one of those uglies in years. I thought that the apes were history."

"It doesn't look like it. Maybe these leftover apes are the dark forces that the Guardians warned us about."

"Well…now what do we do?" Sparx asked.

Matt thought for a second. "We should follow them. Maybe they can lead us to their camp."

"You think that dragon will be there?"

"There's only one way to find out." Matt turned to the direction the two apes were heading.

"Hey, kid! Shouldn't we get Spyro and Cynder first?" Sparx asked.

"Not yet," Matt replied. "We're not in any immediate danger right now. If we can stay out of sight long enough, we may get a better idea of what we're dealing with."

"Well…ok, but remember this was your idea when Spyro finds out."

Matt quickly moved through the dense forest as quickly as quietly as he could. Following the path that the apes made, he and Sparx continued for several minutes. The young human knew that this was a risky idea, but he had a feeling in his gut that this was the right call.

Before too long, Matt looked up to see a trail of smoke in the sky above the treetops. He mentioned it to Sparx.

"You sure that's not Spyro calling us?"

"No, it's smoke from a campfire. This must be it."

Matt and Sparx crept even closer to where the smoke was coming from. To their surprise, the path they were following led to a clearing. They quickly found cover behind two larger trees. Matt then peered around to take a good look.

One thing was for sure. The smoke he had seen hadn't come from just one fire, it had come from several fires. There were several tents and shelters planted all over the clearing, including separate shelves for weapons and animal meat. The base was also seated on the edge of the lake with a dock that contained several nets and spears.

From what Matt could count, there were at least a dozen or more enemies. They all wore the same armor he had seen before.

Sparx let out a long whistle. "How long have these guys been sitting around here? They look as mean as ever. I thought I'd seen the last of those things."

"Looks like they've been here for a little while," Matt said. "The ground's been worn away.."

"Hmm…ok. We've seen enough, kid. Let's go."

"Hold on a second…"

Matt had noticed a second ago that two of the larger apes were standing and doing nothing outside of a small cave on the other side of the camp.

"Something's in there," Matt said out loud. "I have to find out what it is."

Sparx looked at him with bug eyes. "What? Are you crazy? What happened to all that staying hidden talk?"

"I can't explain it, Sparx, but I've got a feeling in my gut that's telling me I have to see what's in there."

"Is it that dragon we're looking for?"

"Maybe. I don't know for sure."

"Well, then. Let's get Spyro and Cynder and find out. These guys don't stand a chance against you three."

Matt shook his head. "These guys have no idea that Spyro and Cynder are out there. If there is a dragon held captive in there, we could that dragon's life in jepordy if we barge right in. We have to find out for sure before we do anything."

"I don't know…"

"C'mon, Sparx…"

"Look, kid. Even if this is a good idea, how are you going to get in there without those apes noticing?"

Matt thought for as second, then grinned. "I've got an idea." He stared at his friend for a few seconds.

Sparx narrowed his eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

* * *

_**I think that's enough for now. Stay tuned as the plot thickens even more. Please send a review with any comments you may have.**_

_**Peace out,**_

**_Biz_**


	6. The Infiltration

**_Hey everyone! Thanks again for the continued support! I just want to say I'm very excited for these next couple chapters as we finally get some action! I really really hope you guys enjoy them._**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. Matt (and a new character) are my OCs.**_

* * *

Matt crept up slowly behind the first tent, staying in a crouch the entire way. He looked to the sky for a brief moemnt. The sun was beginning to set in the west, which meant night was coming soon. Spyro and Cynder would be waiting for them soon. He was hoping to give them some good news when he saw them again…if he saw them again.

Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do…for the moment. He watched as Sparx moved into position above the two apes guarding the cave. The dragonfly took a deep breath.

Sparx flew downwards and without them noticing, he grabbed the helmet of the ape on the left and took it off his head.

"What?" the ape bellowed. He felt the top of his head. "Hey!"

"Oh, is this yours?" Sparx asked.

"Drop it now, you useless insect!" the other guard ape bellowed.

"Nah, I think I'll pass." He then flew towards the center of camp, with both apes following him.

"Hey! Fleabags!" Sparx yelled at the top of his lungs. "Ya'll are so ugly, your mothers slapped themselves when you all were born."

Several enemies took notice and a look of anger filled their eyes. They each grabbed a sword.

"Why you little…?"

"Let's get him!"

Two apes charged for the hovering Sparx, but the dragonfly managed to climb upwards before they collided into each other with a thud.

"Wow…what was that idiot Malefor thinking?" Sparx continued. "Who in their right mind would pick you dumb apes? He'd probably be better off with an army of frogweeds!" The dragonfly dropped the helmet he was holding on top of one of them, knocking it out cold. "Catch me if you can!" Sparx flew as fast as he could back into the forest.

"Kill that little firefly from hell!" one random ape cried. He along with most of the apes charged in after Sparx. A few of the head apes tried to bring order, but it was no use.

"Good job, Sparx," Matt whispered from his hiding spot. Staying as low as he possibly could, the young human crept along the sides of the tents and huts until he reached the other side of the camp. After making sure the coast was clear, he ducked into the cave.

The cave itself was pitch dark at first, but Matt could see a light at the end of the tunnel ahead. He treaded forward with caution.

The light was emitting from several lit torches that lined the walls of the inner cave. They were dim, but bright enough for Matt to see the end. Once he was close enough, the young warrior gasped at what his eyes had fallen upon.

_Holy crap…_ He thought. The young human gazed in horror at the sight. His gut had been right all along.

The apes had driven a long, wooden stake in the ground. Tied by its front legs with a tightly wounded rope was none other than an a flesh and blood dragon.

At least…Matt thought it was a dragon. He moved a bit closer to get a better look. It's body was covered with layers of dirt and grime. He couldn't tell what it's color was at first because their skin was very pale. It's breathing also seemed very strained. As his eyes moved even closer, Matt was astonished to find that the dragon's color was a bright pink.

_Is it a dragoness? _He wondered. _I think so…_

The female's underbelly and wings were a strong blue. She had two sharp, white horns atop of her head that reminded Matt of Cynder's. Her short wings had been bent to an awkward position, making Matt think they may be broken. Her long tail was hanging limply from her body. Lining the scales on her arms and legs were several cuts and bruises, along with a deep gash above her left eye. **(A.N. so just to make sure we're clear, this is not Ember! I repeat, not Ember!)**

_What did they do to her?_ Matt pondered. _Those animals…they make me sick…_

The young human's body began to shake. There was no doubt what he wanted to do now, and it meant throwing out his entire plan from before. Spyro wouldn't be very happy with him...but Matt decided he had to get her out of this cave now. He wasn't going to let this dragoness spend another second like this. If the apes tried to stop him, they were in for a rude awakening.

"Psst…," Matt said softly. "Wake up…"

The dragoness stirred a little. She groaned in discomfort.

"Can you hear me?" Matt asked. "Open your eyes."

Her eyes flickered a little before they slowly opened, revealing them to be a shade of blue like her scales. She gasped softly when she first saw the young human, a look of fear etched across her face.

"No, it's ok, it's ok," he exclaimed. "I'm not going to hurt you." He slowly placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch again. "I'm here to help you."

She looked him over curiously, perhaps having not seen a human before. The look on her face gave Matt a confused expression.

Matt nodded. "Don't be afraid. I'm going to get you out of here. Ok?"

The dragoness hesitated and looked away, giving a whimper for a reply.

The Keyblader took his hand and gently placed his hand on the female's face. She looked back at him. "Everything will be alright. I promise. Please…let me help you."

After a few moments of staring at each other, the dragoness slowly nodded back to him.

The young human then summoned his Keyblade with a flash of light, causing the dragoness to gasp in fright. She started panting, her eyes trained on the weapon.

"No, no, It's ok," Matt reassured her. "This is the Keyblade. I use it for good. Let me cut you loose." He slowly began to work on the ropes binding the dragoness to the stake.

"My name is Matt," he said. "What's your name?" She looked down and didn't reply. "It's alright…you must have a name. You can tell me."

The dragoness lifted up her head. She looked at him for a moment, then slowly moved her lips. "S…S…Sel…ema." Her voice sounded weak and cracked…and vaugely familiar.

Matt froze for a moment before continuing to work. It couldn't be…

"Selema?" She nodded again to confirm it. "Ok, Selema. I'll have you out of here in just a sec."

The young warrior frantically kept cutting on both ropes. He didn't know how much longer Sparx could keep the apes distracted. ..

Within minutes, it was all done. Selema groaned as she fell forward, with Matt managing to catch her in his arms. He slowly lowered her to the ground. What surprised him was that she was a lot smaller than he'd expected, and she was about as long as he was. Matt assumed that she was still very young, maybe around Spyro and Cynder's age.

"How are you feeling? Can you walk?" he asked.

She looked up at him and shook her head no. "I…can't…"

Matt sighed. "That's ok. I can carry you on my back for now. It'll be fine." He squatted down on his knees and motioned for her to get on.

For some reason, though, Selema stayed put. "Why…?" she asked weakly.

"Huh?" Matt asked. "Why what?"

"Why…are you helping me? I…don't understand. You're not…a dragon."

The Keyblader paused, then looked her in the eye. "That may be true, but I was sent here to find you by the elder Guardians. They're from the city of Warfang."

Selema gasped. "What…? Where…?"

"It's true. The war with Malefor is over, Selema. My friends Spyro and Cynder defeated him and saved the entire world. We came here looking for you."

A look of shock filled Selema's eyes. "But…but…I…"

"I'll explain some more later. Right now, we've got to get you out of here."

Before Selema could do anything however, her eyes widened in horror. She gasped hard.

"What? What is…?" Matt felt a blunt object hit him in the back of his head. The lights in his eyes went out quickly…and within seconds he knew no more

* * *

_**So there you have it! Selema is my newest OC and she's finally made her debut! Sorry, but I find that exciting. To those who ask, the answer is no, she is not based off of Ember. Trust me, they're different. **_

_**Anways...can Matt help her escape? Find out next chapter!**_

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	7. Sink or Swim

_**Hey everyone! I am really really REALLY pumped for this next chapter. If you thought last chapter was good, just wait till you see this. Again, thanks to all those who have given me support and reviews. They're what makes writing worth it. **_

**_So without further ado..._**

**_*knock knock*_**

**_What the hell? Since when did I have a door? (Biz walks up and answers the door. He gasps in astonishment.)_**

**_Hey...aren't you?_**

**(Alec the Dark Angel stands is Biz's doorway.) Yes, it's true. **

**_Wow...uh...what are you doing here?_**

**Didn't I tell you? I've come to help save Selem... (Suddenly, Alec is hit hard in the head by a random blunt object. He falls forward to the floor unconscious.)**

**_Uh...ok...that was weird. Before I figure out what to do with Alec..._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

The first thing Matt felt when he came to was a throbbing pain in his head. He groaned in agony.

"Kid, wake up!" He heard a voice shout out to him.

"Sparx…is that you?"

Matt tried to move himself forward to find Sparx, but he found himself unable to move anything.

"What the…?" His eyes shot open and he gasped at his predicament. He was tied by his wrists to the back of another wooden stake with his knees flat on the ground. "Oh crap…"

Matt then looked up to find a large ape standing over him. It was covered in the most armor he had seen on any them, along with a weird headdress adorning his top. Quickly scanning the scene, the young human also noticed that around a dozen apes had surrounded him as well, all sporting a weapon in hand.

"Well,well, well," It growled. "What do we have here? A human?" It leaned close enough for Matt to cringe at his awful breath. "Did you honestly think you could just waltz right in here thinking you wouldn't be noticed?"

"It was his idea." Matt whirled around to see Sparx trapped in a lantern-like prison he'd seen in the games. It was hanging from one a nail posted in the stake as well. "I have nothing against you guys…"

"Silence!" The head ape shrieked, silencing the dragonfly immediately. He turned his attention back on the young human. "Now then, boy. Speak! Why have you come here?"

Matt took a deep breath, scanning the scene entirely and estimating his odds. He decided to keep quiet for the meantime.

The ape leader again got into Matt's face. "I said speak human! Or do we have to make you talk?" He took his sword out of his sheath and pointed it in front of the young human's eye.

Matt decided to answer back with a question of his own. "Where's Selema? What have you done with her?"

The leader then grinned an evil grin. "You mean our prisoner? Why don't you see for yourself?" He motioned for a few apes to step aside.

Matt gasped. Lying on the dock was Selema, who was bounded by her front and rear legs. A gag was stuffed in her mouth, muffing her screams. She was still conscious, but looked like she was frozen with fear. Two other apes stood over her, holding a large rock. Around Selema's waist was looked like a chain that seemed to be fastened around her underbelly, tying her to the rock.

The young human grunted and scowled at the leader. "You coward…how dare you? She's not even fighting back!"

The leader laughed back in his face. "Now that you know how dire the situation really is, I'll ask again. Why have you come here?"

Matt decided he needed to act quickly. He slowly started to channel his energy…

"C'mon kid, say something," Sparx pleaded.

"Silence, firefly!" The leader commanded. He again got in Matt's face. "You're in league with the dragons then aren't you? Why else would you be trying to free one? We've heard rumors of a human warrior who fought alongside the purple dragon some time ago."

"Never heard of him," Matt replied. "You must be mistaken." He continued to glance at Selema while trying to focus.

"There is no mistake. I have no doubt that you are that warrior. How else could you have found this place without any outside help? The purple dragon must be nearby then…" The leader's eyes narrowed to a more menacing glare. "It's too bad you won't be able to see him again…"

Matt continued to keep a straight face. "All right, then. You got me. I am that warrior…a Keyblade wielder to be exact. If you've heard anything about the Keyblade and the warriors they choose, then you should know what I'm capable of." He paused for a second. "I'm warning you right now. Let us all go and we'll leave in peace."

The apes laughed together in unison, flabbergasted at the statement. "You're not in any position to make demands, human. You might as well accept your fate," the leader said again. "Tell us where the purple dragon hides!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Matt then summoned his Keyblade in one of his open hands. Having concentrated his energy to his wrists, he managed to break through his bonds effortlessly.

Sparx beamed from his cage, his hands shaking the bars trapping him. "Nice one, kid! Go get em!"

While most of the apes stared in shock, the leader issued a simple command. "KILL HIM!"

One ape decided to test the Keyblader's strength first, rushing straight for him. A grave mistake…

Matt concentrated and with his mind slowed the scene around him. Things were now happening in slow motion. With it, he easily managed to block the sword coming at him. Before the ape knew what hit him, Matt counterattacked by knocking the weapon aside and slashing his attacker in the stomach and putting him down to the turf.

"Is that all?" Matt asked.

Suddenly, two more apes charged for him thinking they'd outnumbered him. It didn't really matter. Matt managed to dodge both of their swipes effortlessly and defeat them with one slash of his Keyblade.

"Anybody else?" Matt asked again. He turned to the leader and pointed his blade. "Now I'll ask _you_ again! Let my friends go right now!"

The leader stared at the young human for a few moments, thinking his next move. He then did something Matt didn't expect…he smiled.

"Very well then," the top ape replied. "We'll do it your way…." He then turned to the two apes standing on the dock. "Toss it overboard now!"

Matt gasped. He whirled around in the direction of the lake. He could only watch helplessly as the apes on the dock obeyed and threw the large rock into the middle of the lake. Selema tried to scream for help, but her gag prevented her from doing so. The rock pulled her off the dock and into the large lake. The dragoness disappeared beneath the surface with a splash.

"NOOOOOO!" Matt screamed. He started to sprint in that direction, but the remaining apes stepped out in front of him, blocking his path.

"Get out of my way!," the young human demanded, but it was no use. The ape force stood their ground, desperate not to let him pass.

Matt's mind started to race. There was no doubt he could beat the rest of them, but there wasn't enough time. Selema would run out of air by then. He had to take them all out now.

The leader laughed madly at the situation. "That's right human! If we can't keep that dragon, no one can!"

Suddenly, Matt's eyes filled with anger. He gritted his teeth and turned back towards the group in his way. "You're gonna regret that…"

Sparx decided to cover his eyes. "I have a bad feeling about this…" he mumbled.

Matt thrust the tip of his Keyblade into the earth below him. He concentrated some of his energy into it simultaneously.

"Hurry," one of the remaining apes exclaimed. "Destroy him before he can attack again." They all charged for the Keyblader, hoping to stop him. It would be the last mistake most of them would ever make.

Matt looked up to see the apes bearing down on him, but it was too late. His magic attack was ready. "FIRAGA MAXIMA!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Suddenly, the ground around the Keyblade began to shake. Large cracks in the earth began to form, with a fire trail emitting from each of them. Those apes who were closest to Matt felt the blow first, being incinerated within seconds by the epic fire attack. Some tried to flee in fear when they saw the blazed cracks coming, but they couldn't outrun it in time.

When it was all over, all that was left of the group of apes before were charred, lifeless bodies. Unfortunately, the fire had reached some of the tents in the camp, setting them ablaze as well.

Matt lifted his Keyblade back off the ground. He fell to his knees and was out of breath. The firaga spell had taken a lot out of him.

Suddenly, Sparx's voice snapped Matt back to reality. "Hey, kid! A little help here!"

"Oh crap! Sparx!" The Keyblader hurried over to the caged dragonfly. He quickly broke the lock on the prison with his blade, setting his friend free. "You ok?"

"I'm still in one piece…"

"Alright, then listen to me. You need to go find Spyro and Cynder as fast as you can!"

"But what are you gonna do?"

Matt turned away from Sparx towards the lake. "Whatever I have to…" He then sprinted as fast as he could towards the docks, praying there was still a chance. When he got to the end, he took a deep breath. Matt extended his arms beyond his body and dived into the waters of Pioneer's Lake, a cold burst of water greeting him.

There was enough light left for Matt to see, but the water was still to murky for him to see anything in front of him for a few feet. He took long, slow strokes under the surface, trying desperately to feel for any sign of Selema. Unfortunately, he ran out of breath quicker than he thought, forcing him to surface.

With his head above the water, Matt desperately searched for any sign of the drowning dragoness. Thoughts of fear and anxiety raced through his mind. He had no idea how deep the lake was.

How long had Selema been underwater? It had been several minutes at least. Could dragons hold their breath longer? It was one question he'd never really asked Spyro or Cynder about…

_No…_Matt thought. _I can't give up yet…_ He took another deep breath and dived downwards. He put his hands in front of him kept searching in desperation. _Where are you?_

Suddenly, after diving several feet, he finally managed to feel something solid enough…and it looked pink.

_Selema! _Matt yelled in his mind. He managed to swim close enough to get a good look at her…and it wasn't very promising. Her eyes were closed shut, with small bubbles issuing from her mouth underneath the gag. Her body was hanging limply, floating calmly beneath the depths of the lake.

Matt knew then and there he didn't have a lot of time (or air) to spare.

First, he removed the gag around Selema's mouth. He then tugged at the chain around Selema's waist for a few seconds before deciding on another strategy. He put out his hand and summoned his Keyblade once more. Concentrating as hard as he could, the young warrior slashed as hard as he could into the chain connected to the rock, breaking it easily and setting Selema free.

Matt quickly swam behind the dragoness. He carefully wrapped his left arm underneath her wings and front legs. Then, he kicked off from the bottom of the lake heading to the surface…but he didn't get very far.

The young human hadn't realized he'd gone fairly deep under the water. He was a good ten feet away from the surface, and found himself struggling to make it with Selema's weight holding him down.

Matt grunted. He had only seconds left before his air supply was gone…and he and Selema both drowned.

An idea quickly found its way into Matt's mind…and an idea formed soon after. He brought out his Keyblade again and pointed it to the bottom of the lake.

With the last bit of air he could muster, he muttered, "_Firaga maxima…"_ The fire spell burst of the Keyblade, sending Matt and Selema hurtling towards the surface like a bullet out of a gun.

Within seconds, the two broke the surface, leaving Matt gasping for air. He took a few deep breaths, then made sure Selema was still under his arm. She still wasn't moving…

"Oh no…," he whispered. Searching frantically for land, Matt decided that the shore opposite the camp was closer for him to reach. Without wasting another second, he churned his free arm through the water while simultaneously kicking his legs in a scissor-like movement.

Luckily, Matt managed to quickly get the dragoness to the shore. He fell to his knees, panting as hard as ever. There was no doubt he was exhausted from everything that had transpired in the last few minutes. His body begged him to roll over in exhaustion, but Matt refused to do so.

He glanced over at Selema, who still showed no signs of life. Thoughts of doubt stirred in the young human's mind. The one that kept repeating was that too much time had passed…that there was no chance left to save her…

…and that he had failed…

_No…_a voice in Matt's head said. _I won't give up! I made Selema a promise…and I'm going to keep it…_

An instinct he'd learned back home stirred in his mind as he kneeled over Selema's body. Without hesitating, the young human flipped the pink dragoness over on her back. He then placed his ear to her muzzle, feeling no air flowing at all. Next, he took his fingers and ran along Selema's neck, searching desperately for any sign of a pulse. There was none…but then again he wasn't sure where a dragon's arteries were in the first place.

Matt then stared at Selema for a few moments. What was he thinking? Was he actually going to attempt to…?

_If I don't do it…she'll die for sure…I have to try…Oh boy…_

Matt gulped hard in anticipation. With one hand, he squeezed Selema's nose as hard as he possibly could while his other hand rested on her lower jaw.

Without stopping to think about it any further, he took a deep breath and placed his mouth over the mouth of the dragoness. Ignoring the strange and different feel, he exhaled slowly while keeping one eye on the dragoness's chest, which rose a few inches. He repeated the task once more before he pulled back and got back on his knees.

Matt placed one hand over the other, locking them in place, and placed them over Selema's chest near her heart. After taking another deep breath, he slowly pushed down. Slowly, he counted off to himself. "1…2..3...4…" He continued until he reached fifteen.

For the next several minutes, the young human continued the cycle of breathing and chest pushes. Selema still wouldn't show any signs of life.

"C'mon!" Matt yelled. "Don't quit on me!" He recklessly pushed down harder on the dragoness's chest. "C'mon!" He pounded his fist down in frustration, grunting in pain.

_No…please…she can't die like this…she just can't…_

Matt carried on for another minute. While he was pressing on her chest for what seemed like the millionth time, he heard a small noise. Matt whirled around to see Selema cough up some water before taking a huge gasp of air.

"Selema!" he yelled. "Can you hear me?"

She didn't answer back. Her head tilted sideways with her eyes remaining closed.

"Yes…," he whispered between gasps. "I did it…" Reassured, the young human fell over and gave into his body's desire, collapsing from exhaustion.

_Please…let her be ok…_ Matt thought before he knew no more.

* * *

_**Whew...I'll admit it. That was probably the most fun I've ever had writing a chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it! By the way, I'd really appreciate that there be no flaming of Matt performing CPR on a dragoness. If you don't like it, that's your problem. **_

**_Stay tuned for more!_**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	8. The Diagnosis

_**Hey everyone! I just want to say thank you all again for the continued support and reviews. What can I say? It feels great! **_

**_Without further ado..._**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone.**_

* * *

The next thing Matt knew, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Matt! Wake up!"

"Huh?..." He opened his eyes slowly and to find a certain black dragoness standing over him.

"Cynder?" he asked. "Oh man am I glad to see you. What's going on?" The young human tried to lift himself up from his sitting position.

"Take it easy," Cynder said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Matt grunted, a feeling of soreness all over him. He looked around to find that the two of them were lying on the same beach from where the group had spent the previous night. A small fire was burning right beside them. His memory then kicked him back to the events of before.

"Wait! Where's Selema?" He asked.

"Selema?" Cynder asked. "The dragoness? Is that her name?"

"Yeah, that's her! Where is she? Where's Spyro?"

"Calm down," she replied. "Spyro and Sparx are with her now. They're taking her back to Warfang."

"Cynder, is she going to be alright?"

Cynder's eyes lowered to the ground. She bit her lower lip. "I…I don't know."

Matt's heart stopped. "What do you mean you don't know? What's wrong?"

"Matt…," she said softly. "She was barely breathing when we found you both. I felt her forehead and she was burning up. Spyro and I knew she didn't have much time..."

"And…?" Matt's gazed anxiously for Cynder to reply.

"After checking to make sure you were alright, Spyro and I decided that he and Sparx would fly her back to Warfang without stopping. He can make it there faster than I can thanks to his time power. We didn't want to leave you behind, so I decided to stay here to make sure you were ok."

Matt sighed a heavy sigh. Ignoring the aches and pains, he slowly got to his feet. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go!" He put out his hand and summoned out his Dragon's Fury blade.

"What are you doing?" Cynder protested. "Now way you're going to fly now! You need to rest!"

"No, we need to catch up with Spyro."

Cynder glared at him. "Sparx told us what happened, Matt. It sounded like you used up most of your energy in a short amount of time. Your body needs a little more time to recover."

"I already told you that I feel fine." He started to walk forward before a sharp pain in side made him grunt in agony, making him go to his knees.

Cynder rushed to his side. "Now will you listen to me?"

"But…but…" Matt whispered between winces of pain.

"I know you want to help Selema, but there's nothing more you can do for her now, Matt! She's in Spyro's hands now! We have to believe he'll make it to the Guardians in time! Now please lie down and rest!"

Matt sighed in defeat. As much as he wanted to make sure that Selema was ok, Cynder was right. He reluctantly nodded his head in defeat. "Ok…you win."

Cynder sighed and shook her head. "I swear…it's like you're just as stubborn as Spyro." She led her friend back over to the fire.

After Matt was lied down, Cynder then reached over and grabbed something. "Here…drink this." It was his canteen of fresh water. She and Spyro must have found his pack from where he'd left it before. He quickly unscrewed the cap and took several long swigs of the clear liquid, which tasted better than ever.

"Thanks…," he whispered. Matt then felt his stomach begin to growl. "Is there any food left in my bag?"

"Yeah," Cynder replied. "Uh…here you go." She presented him with a small package of cheese crackers, which she stared at for a few seconds.

Matt thanked her again before wolfing down the much needed food. "If you want something out of there, go ahead," he exclaimed.

"I'm fine," she replied, her face cringing a little at the thought of exotic food. "Sparx told us his version of what happened today. What about yours?"

Matt took a deep breath and sat up. He then explained to Cynder everything that had occurred from the moment he and Sparx had found the camp. He decided leave out the part about giving the pink dragoness mouth-to-mouth in order to bring her back.

"Was Spyro angry?" Matt asked when he was finished. "I know we were supposed to call if something came up."

"He was a little upset," Cynder replied. "But he didn't really put much thought into it with the situation at hand."

"Well, I'm sorry that I didn't call any sooner. I took a huge risk and Sparx and Selema almost paid the price." He buried his head in his arms.

"Don't worry about it. What matters is that everything worked out in the end," Cynder exclaimed. "You and Sparx are ok, and Selema still has a chance. For what it's worth, you did great today Matt." She put up a small smile.

Matt noticed and nodded in respose. "Ok…"

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

"Sure."

Cynder narrowed her eyes. "Sparx said that Selema had been underwater for at least five minutes before you jumped in after her. Dragons can't hold their breath very long…how did she survive?"

Matt froze. His eyes darted from side to side. "I don't know…," he lied. "I guess she was lucky…"

Cynder looked at him suspiciously, but shrugged it off. "Look…I just want to say thanks, Matt."

"For what?"

"For everything you've done…and for coming along even though you didn't have to…"

"C'mon, Cynder, it's no big deal…"

"No, I mean it. We finally found another dragon thanks to you. It's not a whole lot, but now maybe we'll be able to find more."

"I know…," he said back. "I just hope that Selema will be alright."

Cynder rested a paw on Matt's shoulder. "I have a feeling she will be. She couldn't be in better hands. Now why don't we get some rest and we'll go back to Warfang tomorrow?"

Matt reluctantly accepted. He still felt a little winded from earlier before, and decided that some sleep would be much needed…

* * *

The next morning came very quickly for Matt, having only been able to gather a few hours sleep.

"Hey," Cynder said within minutes. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I feel great," he replied with honestly. "What are we waiting for?" He summoned out his Dragon's Fury Keyblade once more, instantly feeling himself become as light as a feather.

Cynder sighed, then nodded her head. "Ok, I'm ready too. Let's go!" With that, she flapped her wings and rose into the air. Matt did the same and the two took off immediately in the direction of Warfang.

The flight was going slower than Matt wanted it to. Normally, he felt the cold air blast in his face and hear the wind rush past his ears. However, the only thing in his thoughts were of the fate of Selema. Had Spyro made it back in time? Had they been too late? Had he gone to all the efforts for nothing…?

Matt narrowed his eyes. _I need to believe…_ he thought. He shot a look at Cynder, who also had a look of determination on her face as she flew.

Neither spoke a word as the hours dragged on…but by mid-afternoon, the city came within view. Matt and Cynder quickened their pace until they had passed over the main gates.

"This way!" Cynder yelled. "They're at the Temple!" She quickly rolled in that direction with Matt hot on her tail. They were so focused on getting there as soon as possible, that neither of them heard the oohs and awes of the citizens below.

"Hey! I didn't know humans could fly!"

"Go figure!"

Within mintues, Matt and Cynder both landed softly on the balcony of the Temple. Without skipping a beat, they each hurried into the inner chambers.

"Spyro!" Cynder yelled. "We're back!"

"Hey! Anybody home?" Matt added.

Suddenly, a figure sprinted up to both of them. "Cynder! Matt! You made it!"

"Spyro!" Cynder quickly hurried towards her soulmate. She wrapped her front legs around his neck and squeezed him as hard as she could. "I'm so glad you're ok! I kept thinking you wouldn't make it back in time!"

"It's alright, Cynder…" He put his head next to hers. "I'm fine. I'm so glad you're ok too…"

Matt bent forward to catch his breath, letting the dragon couple have their moment.

"Spyro…," he exclaimed. "Is…Is Selema alright? Is she going to make it?"

"Yeah," Cynder added. "Did you make it back in time?"

Spyro looked at both Cynder and Matt for a few seconds. "I…I honestly don't know. As soon as I got back, the Guardians rushed her to another chamber. They've been working on her ever since." He paused. "She was in really bad shape. She was drifting in and out of it while Sparx and I flew. I went as fast as I could…but I'm not sure if it was enough." The purple dragon put his head down.

"Hey," Cynder exclaimed. "You did the best you could. I'm sure the Guardians will come through."

"Yeah…I hope so." Spyro turned back to his human companion. "Matt…Sparx told me what happened…"

"Spyro…," Matt moaned. He lowered his head. "I know I shouldn't have…"

The purple dragon interrupted by putting up a paw. "There's no need to explain yourself, Matt. You did what you thought was right. Thank you…for everything." Spyro curled his lips into a smile.

Matt felt his spirit's lift up slightly. "No problem," he replied back.

The three friends waited for a few minutes in silence outside the chamber as they continued to wait for word of Selema's condition. Spyro and Cynder stayed as close together as they could, trying their best to comfort each other in the time of anxiety.

Matt sighed. He then remembered something that he had only thought for a brief second while he was rescuing Selema.

_The dragoness lifted up her head. She looked at him for a moment, then slowly moved her lips. "S…S…Sel…ema." Her voice sounded weak and cracked…and vaugely familiar._

_Matt froze for a moment before continuing to work. It couldn't be…_

"Hey, you guys," the young human exclaimed as he broke the silence. Spyro and Cynder quickly looked back at him. "There's…there's something I have to tell you." Slowly, he explained about all the strange dreams he had been having as of late. They always ended with someone calling out for help...

"Why are you telling us this now, Matt?" Spyro asked.

"Because…," Matt said slowly. "…I think…Selema was the one who called out to me."

The two dragons both shot a look of great interest his way, before turning to each other. "Is that even possible?" Cynder asked.

"After what we've been through," Spyro added. "Anything is possible. How are you so sure, Matt?"

Matt closed his eyes. "Her voice and the voice in my dreams were almost exactly alike. She sounded so sad…so alone…I wanted to help her…but for some reason I couldn't."

"Ok…," Cynder said. "But how could she call out to you if she's never even met you before…?" She then gasped. "Wait a minute…"

"I remember too," Spyro spoke up. "We both had dreams about Matt before he came to help us."

Matt nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, that sure was a surprise." He then paused for a second. "Now that you mention it, I need to tell you both something else. When Stitch, Pikachu, and I first came to this world, I had a dream just like these dreams…except that two voices were calling out to me instead of one."

The three friends stared at each other for a few moments, taking in everything that had just been said.

"This is getting really weird," Spyro said while breaking the silence. "Even for our standards…"

"No kidding," Matt added.

The next thing they knew, the door to the chamber finally opened. Spyro, Cynder, and Matt all flew to their feet and anxiously awaited the Guardians to step out…but it wasn't them. It was an old friend…

"Hunter!" Spyro and Cynder said simultaneously.

"It's good to see you both again young dragons," the cheetah warrior said. "And it's also a good surprise to see you again, Matt."

"Yeah," the Keyblader replied. "Long time no see."

"When did you get here?" Spyro asked.

"The Guardians sent for me when you returned with the dragoness," Hunter replied. "They needed an extra healer."

Matt walked up to the cheetah. "Hunter…her name is Selema. How is she? Is she going to make it?"

Hunter looked at each of them before he opened his mouth to speak. "She's going to be ok. It looks as though Spyro managed to get her back here just in time. If we had waited any sooner, she would have been lost for sure."

Matt, Spyro, and Cynder all breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thank the Ancestors," Cynder said.

Just then, the three elder Guardians themselves joined the group in the hallway. Matt asked on how was doing Selema again.

"Fear not, young human," Terrador replied. "She is in a stable condition and resting for now."

"Thank you," Matt replied. "She was in really bad shape when I found her in that camp."

"Those cursed apes," Cyril spoke up. "They never do know when to quit to they."

"Monstrosities!" Volteer added. "Scoundrels! Vile filth of the Earth!"

"Calm down, Volteer," Terrador said again. "You will wake the young dragoness if you continue ranting."

Matt smiled. "What exactly did Selema have, Hunter? Cynder said she had a fever."

"Well," Hunter began. "For one thing, I could tell that she was extremely dehydrated and had some signs of starvation. I've never seen a dragon so weak and thin. I also noticed that she had an infection from one of the many wounds on her body. It took some time, but we managed to reduce her fever to a safe point. Right now, Selema needs to rest and get plenty of fluids. She's in for a long recovery."

"Very well, then," Terrador said. He turned to the entire group. "Thank you…all of you…for your heroic acts. A young dragon's life was saved today…hopefully now we can move on and do the same for any of those who may still be out there waiting."

"I'm sure we will," Spyro exclaimed.

"In the mean time, I suggest that we all take Selema's lead and get some much deserved rest. It's been a long day."

"I second that," Cyril added.

"Agreed," Volteer said.

"No arguments here," Spyro spoke up. "I barely got any sleep when I got back here." He turned to Cynder. "It wasn't the same without you there next to me."

"I felt the same way," she replied. The two lovers nuzzled each other affectionately.

Matt yawned. It really had been a long day flying.

"Young warrior," Volteer spoke. "We have prepared a room for you to stay if you wish to stay here at the Temple for tonight."

"Well…," Matt pondered over whether or not to accept the invitation. He didn't want to intrude, but it was a really long walk back to his ship…

"As I said before," Terrador added. "You may stay here as long as you wish. From what we've heard, you've played a big part at saving the young Selema's life."

"C'mon Matt," Spyro added. "It's the least we can do."

The young human decided quickly. "Alright…I accept your offer. Thank you very much." He bowed in respect for the Guardians.

"Your room is a few doors down from Spyro and Cynder," Cyril commented. "We hope it's to your liking."

After bidding the Guardians and Hunter good night, Matt followed Spyro and Cynder towards their room. When they arrived, the two dragons stood at the door.

"Have a good night, Matt," Spyro said.

"I will. Good night, you guys."

"Sweet dreams," Cynder added before they both shut the door behind them.

Matt walked a few doors down until he reached one that had his name on it. He looked at it with admiration before opening the door and entering.

Inside was a large king-sized bed with two pillows and white sheets. There was also a dresser with a pitcher of water on the top and a window that looked over the entire city. Matt flung off his bag and plopped down on the bed.

"Oh yeah…," he sighed. It was very soft and made him feel warm instantly. "I could get used to this." He quickly took off his shoes and laid down on his back, his arms resting behind his head.

The young human stared at the window for a few mintues. Even though he knew now that Selema was here in the safest place imaginable, that still wasn't enough to stop worrying about her.

"Thank you…," Matt whispered. He slowly closed his eyes and let the exhaustion wash all over him…

* * *

_**Yes, everyone is safe and sound...for now. What else lies ahead for the heroes? Find out next chapter!**_

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	9. Nasty Surprise

_**Hey everyone! Not much else I can say but thanks to those who've reviewed and kept track of this story. Hope you enjoy this new chapter**_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do own the characters Matt and Selema._**

* * *

When he awoke the next morning, the first thing Matt thought to himself was that he'd had the best night of sleep in a long time. The bed on the Gummi Ship wasn't bad, but this one was just flat out more comfortable. After stretching himself out, he walked over to the water jug and splashed some water on his face. The sunlight shined brightly through his window.

Had it already been three days since he'd gotten here? Three days? Everything had happened so fast. It was truly hard to believe.

Matt then wondered whether or not to sprint to the ship and check to see if he had any messages...

_I probably should…_he thought. _What if the King needs me?_

Matt walked over to the door and opened it. He noticed on the other side that there was a note pinned to the side. It was addressed to him:

_Meet us at the main hall for breakfast when you're ready. Spyro_

As if on cue, Matt's stomach growled instantly. It had been a little while since he'd had a good meal. Eventually, he had to have something that wasn't from his backpack. While he wondered the halls of the Temple, Matt pondered over what kind of food that could be served in a place meant for dragons. He gulped hard at the idea and prayed that there would be something edible for him.

Soon, he found himself standing outside the door of the chamber that held Selema. He still hadn't seen or spoken to her since he'd revived her. As tempted as he was to find out, Matt decided that it was probably a good idea to just let his new friend rest. She'd been through a lot…and that was only from the day before.

After a few more minutes, Matt managed to find the main hall of the Temple where Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx were waiting for him.

"Hey, Matt," Spyro exclaimed. "Glad to see you could join us."

"Morning," Matt replied. "I just want to say now that whoever does the beds around here deserves a pay raise. It was like sleeping on a cloud last night."

"I agree," Cynder added. "After a couple nights sleeping on the ground, a nice comfy bed was more than helpful." She nuzzled up to Spyro. "Especially when you have someone there with you to snuggle with…"

Spyro chuckled. "I couldn't agree more…"

"Aww…," Sparx groaned. "C'mon…you two. Can you at least wait until after I eat before you get all cute. I'll lose my appetite."

Matt just smiled and shook his head at the comment. He followed his friends into what seemed like a large dining hall. In the center of the room was one long, wooden table that was only suspended a few feet above the ground. There were already plates set up for each of them, with a metal lid over each of them. A small bowl of water was also sitting in front of each tray.

What surprised Matt about this place was that there was much more room than there should have been. He had already known that the Temple itself could hold about fifty or so dragons…but for the moment there wasn't many dragons to put them there in the first place.

The two dragons and Sparx led him over to the table and they all sat down. Spyro explained that the Guardians already had eaten and were already back at the Pool of Visions trying to find out more about any other dragons that could be out there.

"Enough chat," Sparx exclaimed. "Let's eat!" He immediately threw off his lid to find several grubs and dead butterflies sitting on his plate. "Alright!" The dragonfly immediately dug in.

Spyro and Cynder also each removed their lids to find a huge chunk of meat sitting on their plates, along with some fruit. Matt saw a look of extreme hunger in their eyes and watched as they started tearing in to their meal as well.

The young human looked curiously at his tray. He gulped and picked it up slowly. Matt sighed in relief as he found two cooked eggs, a slab of meat, and several pieces of fruit as well. Unfortunately, there was something missing…

"Need something, Matt?" The young human turned to see Hunter the cheetah standing over him. He held a standard metal fork in one of his paws. "I have plenty of these if you'd like one."

Matt smiled and took the fork. "Thanks, Hunter. I forgot that you have opposable thumbs too." Spyro and Cynder smirked at him for a second before they continued eating. Hunter also sat down with the group and ate as well.

The meal was surprisingly very good in his opinion. He had been eating ship food for so long that he was surprised that he hadn't devoured his breakfast faster. Even the water tasted great for some reason.

During the meal, the group decided to brief Hunter on what happened during their mission to save Selema. The cheetah nodded in admiration over the fact that Matt had beaten a dozen apes with one attack.

"All of you young heroes cease to amaze me," Hunter exclaimed.

"Hey, don't forget me!" Sparx yelled. "I helped too! Tell him, kid!"

Matt rolled his eyes and admitted that Sparx had done his part to help him find Selema.

After they were all through eating, Matt decided to take the opportunity and check on his ship. He hadn't forgotten about the idea of a possible message waiting for him. "I'll be back in a little while!" he exclaimed.

"Ok," Spyro said. "Just don't go flying off on us!"

"I won't." Matt laughed. After bidding his friends goodbye for the moment, he walked through the door towards the main entrance.

Suddenly, he heard a strange noise to his left that he looked curiously towards. It was one of the moles, and he was carrying a large tray over his head that was about his size. Matt watched anxiously as the mole swayed back and forth to try and balance the tray on his small hands.

"Whoa," the mole said. "Oh boy….not good." His eyes widened in panic.

Out of instinct, Matt hurried over to the mole's aid. "Here, let me give you a hand." Bending over, he managed to take the tray off the struggling mole's hands.

The mole let out a sigh of relief. "Oh…thank you good sir. That thing is much heavier than it looks."

"It's no problem," Matt replied. "You looked like you needed some help."

The mole sighed. "You can't help who you are I suppose. Now if you don't mind, I have to get bring this meal to the new dragon's chamber pronto."

Matt's heart skipped a beat. "Oh, you mean Selema's room?"

"Yeah, that's her name! I heard the poor girl was in pretty bad shape. I was ordered to take this food to her room so she can get some strength back."

An idea suddenly formed in Matt's head. "I'll tell you what. How about I take this off your hands and bring it to her?"

The mole beamed up at him. "You'd really do that?"

"Sure, I was heading in that direction anyway. I can drop it off real quick and you don't have to risk spilling any of it."

"Oh, thank you young human. Spyro did say you were a good, kind soul. It seems he was right." He bid Matt farewell and hurried off back to the kitchens.

The young human quickly hurried in the direction of Selema's chamber. He stopped at the door before taking a deep breath. With one hand underneath the tray, he slowly opened the door. Peeking his head in, he quietly gasped at the sight.

The dragoness he had rescued was lying on the bed stomach down. From what he could tell, she was resting peacefully. Her breathing was still a little strained, but it was much better than it was the previous day. A few bandages rested on her body where the worst cuts had been before.

Matt sighed deeply in relief. It would be wrong to disturb her now. There would be time to talk later. As slowly and quietly as he could, he walked over to her bedside stand and firmly placed the tray on top.

"Sleep well," Matt whispered before he turned to leave. Before he went two steps, he was surprised to hear a small groan. He turned back to find Selema stirring a little, her eyes flickering a little.

Matt looked around the room and found a small stool handily sitting in a corner. He went over and grabbed it quickly and sat it next to the bed. He waited a few moments before Selema fully opened her eyes.

"Hey there," he said. "Welcome back."

Selema looked around the room for a few moments. "Where…where am I?" she asked weakly. "How did I get here?"

"It's alright. You're in a safe place," Matt replied. "We're far away from that camp now. You have nothing to fear."

Selema looked at him for a few moments. "I thought…I thought I was dead. How am I still…?"

Matt thought quickly with his choice of words. "Well, to put it simply, I dived in and pulled you out of the lake in time."

Selema could only stare at him. "But…how? How did you get past those things?"

Matt rubbed the back of his neck. "Well…I had to beat them all quickly…so I did." He paused. "Let's just say I'm pretty good with a Keyblade in my hand."

"I guess for a moment I thought I was saved." Selema's eyes drifted back to her pillow. "I really thought I was going to die…but you saved me." She paused and looked back at him. "Why? Why would you go so far for me? You've never even met me until that day."

Matt smiled. This was a little easier to answer. "Because…it was the right thing to do. I said I'd get you out of there…and whenever I make a promise to someone, I try my best to keep it."

Selema looked back at him with tears in her eyes. "I don't know how to thank you. I feel like I owe you something…"

"You don't owe me anything," Matt interrupted her. "You needed help."

"Still…there has to be something I could do in return."

Matt placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "How about this? You and I can be friends. That way we both win. What do you say?"

Selema nodded her head in acceptance. "I'd like that very much. Thank you."

They looked at each other for a few moments before Matt broke the silence. "So…," he said. "How are you feeling? Would you like something to eat?" He picked up the tray. "I brought you this…in case you were hungry at all."

Selema moaned a little. "I'm actually a little thirsty. Could…could I…?"

"No need to ask," Matt said. He walked over to the water jug on the table at Selema's bedpost and poured some into a bowl. He brought it over to her and she drank it all in a matter of seconds.

"Thanks," she said. "I really needed that."

"No problem," Matt replied. He took the lid of the tray to find a bowl of warm soup waiting for Selema. "You want some?"

Selema nodded in response. He placed the bowl next to her head. Slowly, but steadily, she drank her meal until there was nothing left. "I feel a lot better now."

"My pleasure," Matt replied back. "Why don't you go ahead and rest a little more? I bet you'll feel even better once you wake up."

Selema looked a little reluctant at first, but she nodded. "Alright," she said. Matt deduced she didn't want him to leave just yet.

"I'll come later on to check up on you if you'd like." Selema nodded eagerly in response. "Ok, then. Have a good sleep, Selema."

"I will," she said softly before she closed her eyes. Matt slowly walked out of the chamber while quietly shutting the door behind him. He then started for the Gummi Ship once more, a smile across his face.

* * *

After making the long trek to the ship, Matt stepped inside. Unfortunately, what he found was something unpleasant.

It seemed as though in his hurry to meet up with Spyro and the others on their mission, he'd forgotten to close the ship's door. Two small chipmunks had found their way inside and were now chewing on some of the ship's wires…

"Hey!" Matt yelled. "Get out of here! Shoo!" His booming voice drove off the two animals faster than ever. He went over to inspect the damage.

"Oh no…," he mumbled. The little rodents hadn't just bitten off one wire…they had bitten off at least a dozen of them! Matt quickly tried to start the ship up, but it wouldn't even make a sound. After several more attempts, he realized it was no use.

"Oh…crap…"

* * *

_**Hmm...there's a small little twist there. Is Matt stuck int he Dragon REalms for good? What else is in store for him and the others? Find out next chapter! **_

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	10. We Have No Choice

**_Hey everyone! I'm back again with another chapter for your enjoyment. Again, thanks to all of those who review and read this story. _**

**_One thing that has surprised me is how much attention and 'support' Selema has been getting. All I can say is you'd better get used to her because she plays a big role in this story. Anyways..._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

Matt broke the news to his dragon companions when he returned to the Temple.

"What?" Spyro and Cynder exclaimed in unison.

"It's true," Matt replied. "My ship is damaged. Several of the wires are cut and I'm missing some gummi pieces." He groaned in disgust. "I don't believe this!"

"Calm down," Spyro said. "I'm sure the moles can help repair it."

"I don't know about that. I doubt they've ever seen technology like this before." Matt buried his hands in his face. "How could I be so stupid?"

"Hey," Cynder spoke up. "Everyone makes mistakes, Matt."

"She's right," Spyro added. "Don't beat yourself up over it."

Matt sighed. "Still, this is bad. It's probably going to take some time before the King or Neo send someone to help fix it."

"Looks like you're stuck here then, huh?"

"Pretty much…"

"I guess it's a good thing the Guardians said you could stay here as long as you had to."

Matt shrugged his shoulders. "I guess that's not so bad..." He sighed a deep sigh. "At least I get to sleep in that bed for a little longer…" The three shared a chuckle at his wise-crack. They then changed the subject.

"There is some good news for us to tell you, Matt," Spyro said. "Selema is conscious again."

Matt put on his best surprised face. "Really? That's great. How is she?"

"She's alright I guess," Cynder replied. "Spyro and I introduced ourselves and we talked for a little while." She went on to explain that Selema had apparently eaten something before they'd gotten there.

"That's good to hear," Matt said.

"The Guardians then arrived and asked some questions," Spyro said. "Unfortunately…uh…" He and Cynder both seemed anxious all of a sudden.

"Go on…" Matt said with a raised brow.

"Matt…," Cynder said. "She doesn't know anything about herself except for her name…"

"What?" A look of shock filled the young human's face. "Are you saying she has amnesia or something?"

Spyro nodded. "It's true. She doesn't remember anything about her past at all. The apes must have done some serious damage while she was their prisoner…"

Matt clenched his fist. In his mind, he took a little more satisfaction for taking out most of the apes in the camp.

"That's horrible…," he said. "Not knowing her family…friends…anything…"

"Yeah…," Cynder agreed. She lowered her head. Spyro then leaned against her, giving the dragoness comfort.

Matt then remembered. "Oh…sorry, you guys. Niether one of you got to meet your real parents either…"

"It's ok," Cynder said.

"What matters is that everyone is safe," Spyro said. "And that no one else will be hurt by Malefor or anyone else who tries to do harm."

Matt nodded hard. "Right..."

* * *

Deep in the mountains inside a small cave, two warrior apes sat in front of a small fire. Their heads were bowed in disgust.

"What are we supposed to do?" the first asked. "Our comrades…all gone…"

"How could we defeated so easily?" the second then asked. "By a human…?"

"He was no ordinary human…," a third voice suddenly said.

The two apes suddenly whirled around to find the ape leader walking towards them. His armor and headdress were burned badly after the attack by the Keyblade warrior.

"Commander," the first ape exclaimed. "What are we supposed to do now? We are the only ones left."

"The dragons will hunt us down," the second said while shivering in fear. "It's all over…"

The leader snarled and snatched up both of his warriors by the throat. "Nothing is over…," he said coldly. "Not as long as there are those who are loyal to our master…" He then threw them to the ground.

"But…," the second ape clamored as he stood up. "The Master…he's been gone for so long…"

"What can we possibly do?" the first asked.

The leader was silent for a few seconds. He then curled his lips in small smile. "It seems we have no choice…"

The two apes stared at him in shock. They asked their leader what he was talking about.

"Follow me," the leader said.

The three walked deep into the cave for a few hundred yards before they were at a dead end. The leader then took his hand and placed it on the wall in front of him. He muttered a few words under his breath.

Suddenly, the wall began to lift itself before the bewildered eyes of the warrior apes. They followed their leader inside the new chamber and then gasped at what they found before them.

Sitting on a stone platform was a giant orb filled with cackling red energy. Sparks flew from it's sides every few seconds, causing the inferior apes to flinch in fear.

"What…what is this?" the first asked.

"This…," the leader began while slowly walking towards the orb. "…is why we were keeping that dragon as our prisoner for so long. Draining her energy to use as our own…"

"That dragon had this much power…?" the second asked, his gaze fixed on the orb. "That's not possible…"

"That dragon was no ordinary one…," the leader replied. "This is a different kind of energy. My fellow leaders were hesitant to use it…but it looks like they are not around to state their case anymore."

"What are we going to do it sir?" the first ape asked again.

The leader curled his lips into a grin. "First, we are going to bring back an old friend…"

* * *

Matt soon pondered over what he was going to do with himself while he was stuck in the Dragon Realms while relaxing in the courtyard with Spyro and Cynder.

Suddenly, Spyro spoke up. "Hey, Matt!"

"Yeah?"

Spyro looked at Cynder, who gave him a reassuring nod. "I was wondering about something. Sparx said that you looked even stronger from when you came here before. Have you been training at all?"

Matt shot his dragon friend a look of curiosity. "A little…"

"Well, I have an idea," Spyro exclaimed. "What would you say if I wanted to have a match with you?"

"What? You want to fight _me?"_

Spyro nodded. "It can just be a sparring match, nothing more. I just want to see if you really have gotten any stronger…and I want to test myself too."

Matt stared back. The idea of fighting Spyro…again…except this time it would be just for fun…and a little training.

"You sure?"

Cynder spoke up next. "I think it's a great idea. It has gotten a little boring around here. I'm curious to see how strong you both are too."

"So what do you say, Matt?" Spyro extended his paw.

Matt looked at it for a second, then back towards Spyro. A small grin crossed his face. "Alright…let's do this…" The young human and his dragon friend exchanged a handshake.

_Oh boy…_

_**Like I said earlier, we're far from done. A match between Matt and Spyro...interesting...**_

_**What are the apes planning to do with the energy? What kind of power does Selema have? The answers will come...so keep on reading...**_

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	11. Sparring Match

_**Hey everyone! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long for this chapter. I figured that we were due for a battle scene...so here you go!**_

**_On a side note, if one of my reviewer's supposed email is , I tried 3 times and it didn't work..._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

If there was one thing Matt hadn't expected when he had made the trip to the Dragon Realms, it was a sparring match.

A sparring match with the purple dragon himself…

Matt now found himself standing in a large arena built in the middle of the temple. The roof had been opened above to allow flight if either one of them choose to use it. He was standing on one side, with Spyro on the other.

The Earth Guardian Terrador had agreed to watch over the event in order so that both competitors wouldn't go too far with their attacks. Although he didn't show it, the large dragon anxiously awaited the chance to watch the Keyblader in action against Spyro.

Cynder stood on the sidelines, looking back and forth at both of them. She too was looking forward to watching Matt and Spyro battle, curious to see how it would all unfold.

"Are you both ready?" Terrador asked, raising a claw high.

Matt took a deep breath. He stared at Spyro for a few moments. Had it really been that long since the two had fought in Malchoir's lair? Sure, Spyro had been possessed by his Heartless back then…but that didn't stop Matt from remembering that battle and just how badly it could have ended.

Still, he hadn't had a really strong opponent for a while…

The purple dragon nodded his head to Matt, who nodded back in response. The look on Spyro's face was as clear to the Keyblader as ever.

_Don't hold back anything…_

"I'm ready," Spyro said as he crouched into his battle stance.

Matt extended his hand and summoned his trusted blade with a flash of light. "Ready," he said.

Terrador looked at both of them for a moment, then dropped his claw. "Begin!"

Matt and Spyro stared at each other for a few seconds, with each daring one another to make the first move. It was so quiet that a leaf could be heard falling on the ground.

Finally, Spyro gave in and charged straight for Matt. The Keyblader concentrated in order to use his mind to slow the scene down, but Spyro was quicker than he'd anticipated. He raised his blade in defense just as the dragon was about to land a blow to his side.

The onslaught continued as Spyro came with his claws, which were as quick as lightning. Luckily, Matt managed to block all of the swipes that came his way, but at the price of being unable to land a counter strike in return.

Matt was so focused on Spyro's claws, that he made a costly mistake. He grunted as he felt the dragon's tail connect with his left side, knocking him off balance for a moment. Spyro took advantage of his opportunity and bent his head forward, ramming Matt with his horns and sending the young human several feet backwards.

_Man…he's faster than I remember…_ the young human thought as he got back on his feet. _Looks like I have to step it up a notch._

Cynder shouted out a cheer for Spyro, who nodded back.

Matt gripped his blade a little harder, then charged towards his opponent. This time, he was ready. As Spyro prepared to put up his claws in defense, Matt quickly closed his eyes. Before Spyro knew what happened, Matt had somehow appeared behind the purple dragon within an instant. Taking his chance, he unleashed a combo attack into Spyro back side, causing him to cry in pain.

Spyro then tried to counterattack by grabbing Matt, but the young human had ducked in time. However, Spyro had anticipated the move and once again hit Matt in his side with his tail. To the Keyblader, it felt like a brick hammering into him.

_I'm not done yet!_ He thought.

For the next several minutes, both Matt and Spyro continued to trade blows with neither side giving in. They were moving so quickly that to the naked eye they were a small blur. Both Cynder and Terrador could only watch in awe as the two kept at it.

Soon, it was Spyro who made the next major move. After dodging another one of Matt's slashes, he flapped his wings hard and rose into the air. He gazed down towards the young human, daring him to join.

"Ok then," Matt muttered. "Let's do this…" He closed his eyes and called for his Dragon's Fury blade. Feeling as light as air, he kicked hard off the ground and sped towards Spyro in a flash. He raised his blade to strike.

However, Spyro easily managed to dodge it by riding the wind, causing his opponent to slash nothing but air.

Matt grunted in frustration. He knew full well that an aerial battle gave Spyro the advantage, but it wasn't over yet.

Gathering the necessary momentum, he charged for Spyro again. This time, the purple dragon was ready and opened his mouth wide. Matt's eyes widened as he saw a bright blaze of orange flame come straight for him.

_Damn!_ Matt quickly brought up his blade to protect himself.

Spyro thought that he had landed a direct hit, but his eyes widened in shock at what he saw next. Matt had actually _caught_ his fire blast with his Keyblade…and he wasn't done yet.

Matt quickly concentrated some of his energy into the dragon blade while still holding on to Spyro's attack. When it was ready, he released it back with a fire spell on his own. "FIRAGA!" he cried.

Spyro quickly rolled himself into a ball in midair. Using his power of earth, a shield of rock soon covered him completely. Matt could only watch as his attack was absorbed.

The purple dragon then counterattacked once more, this time sending a barrage of ice shards straight for his human opponent. Matt smiled. Using his blade, he managed to knock back every single shard away.

Next, Matt tried using his own blizzard spell in order to slow Spyro down, but the purple dragon knocked it back himself with a breath of fire.

The battle continued in midair for several more minutes, with neither one of the competitors giving in. The clangs of metal on claw and bangs from magic vs element were the only sounds that could be heard.

Matt slowly began to feel his energy fade with each second. There was no doubt at all that Spyro was one of the toughest opponents he had ever faced…

All of a sudden, Matt was thrown to the ground by a ramming Spyro, who had used his dragon time power at the right moment. The young human thudded hard against the stone floor, then got slowly to his feet. However, Spyro wasn't done just yet with his charge and he managed to tackle Matt to the floor and pin him to the ground.

"Gotcha," the purple dragon muttered.

"I don't think so," Matt replied. To everyone's surprise, the young human then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What the?" Spyro yelled. "How did he do that?" He looked around desperately.

"Spyro, look out!" Cynder yelled from the sidelines.

The young dragon whirled around to find Matt charging a small amount of energy on the tip of his Keyblade. Spyro knew exactly what was coming and tapped into his power of Convexity. A purple energy began to form in his mouth.

"Oh no…," Cynder whispered. She turned to Terrador. "Maybe we should…"

The Guardian put on a claw in front of the black dragoness. "Fear not, Cynder. I sense that neither Spyro or Matt is tapping into their full power. I believe we should let them finish."

After Matt and Spyro were both ready, they each unleashed their own separate energy attack. The two forces slammed into each other at full force, but neither attack managed to break through. For several moments, the attacks remained at a stand-till.

Matt grunted. He could have put more energy into his Kingdom Blast, but he refused to risk seriously harming his dragon friend. For some reason, he could tell from Spyro's face that he too felt the same way. For an instant, and oddly enough, he felt good…and relieved.

With split second timing, Matt yanked his blade out of the way while Spyro jerked his head backwards. The energy attacks exploded in mid-air, sending a dust wave throughout the whole arena. Both fighters were sent flying backwards into the wall.

"Spyro!" Cynder yelled. She quickly rushed over to her lover's side. "Are you alright?"

To her surprise, the purple dragon had a big grin on his face despite all of the cuts and bruises from the fight. "I'm fine…couldn't be better…" He let out a weak laugh.

Terrador had come over to check to see on Matt's condition, but he found the Keyblader slowly getting to his feet as well.

"I'm good," Matt said weakly. "Is Spyro alright?"

The Guardian could only shake his head. "You young warriors cease to amaze me."

Even though both winced in pain in the effort, Matt and Spyro managed to walk over to each other and shake once more.

"Thank you, Matt," Spyro said. "What a battle! You really have gotten stronger from what I can tell."

"Thank me?" Matt replied. "Thank you! That was awesome! I haven't fought that hard for a while! I've already said this before, but I'm glad I'm on your side, Spyro."

"Same here. I almost thought I had you a few times…"

"I'd hate to be the enemy who'd have to fight you two at once," Cynder spoke up. "Just do me one favor…both of you…"

"What?" Spyro and Matt asked.

"Don't fight each other again…you scared me a couple of times…especially at the end."

"Sorry, Cynder," Spyro said.

"Me too," Matt added. "I guess we got a little carried away."

Terrador announced the battle to be a draw. He gave praise to both Spyro and Matt before leaving to attend to other matters. The two fighters then decided to go off in order to rest, the fight taking a lot out of them.

* * *

Unbeknownst to any of them, there was one more spectator to the sparring match…

Selema had heard the commotion outside her window while she was trying to rest. She was curious to see what it was all about. Even though it hurt, she rose up and moved herself over to see what was going on.

She gasped at what she found. There was a fierce battle raging in the courtyard. The combatants were going so fast that Selema barely had time to get a get look at them.

Off to the side, Selema did see two familiar faces. One of the Guardians…was it Terrador? The other was the dragoness she had met earlier that day. Her name was Cynder and she had been very kind to her when they had met.

Suddenly, the two fighters stopped for a moment so that she could recognize them. One was the purple dragon, Spyro. The other (to Selema's great surprise) was Matt!

Selema watched with great interest as the young human was panting with his blade clenched in his hand. A human was fighting a dragon?

What surprised her even more was when both prepared their final attack. The young dragoness couldn't believe how much power they both contained, especially Matt. Was this how he defeated all the apes in order to rescue her?

In the end, both ducked out at the last minute. However, both Matt and Spyro laughed it off like it was nothing at all. Sighing in relief, Selema shuffled back over to the bed and layed down once more.

_Why…? I don't understand…_ she thought as she closed her eyes.

* * *

The two soldier apes rushed as fast as their legs could carry them towards their leader, who was waiting for them in the chamber holding the energy orb.

"What took you buffoons so long?" the leader demanded of his warriors. A spray of spit covered them both.

"S…sorry sir," the first replied. "These components took time to find…"

"Much time," the second added.

The leader growled in anger, but then turned his back to his warriors. "Very well, then…" He then faced them again, but this time with a twisted smile upon his face. "Now…we just need one more component in order to make this spell successful. Can either of you take a guess what that might be?"

The two lesser apes looked at each other, neither having a clue. "No, sir," the first replied. "What is it?"

The first got his answer. Not a second after he asked the question, the leader unsheathed his long sword. Without hesitating, he plunged it into the stomach of the ape standing right next to him. The second looked at them both in shock. The leader then pulled him closer, whispering something in his ear before finishing the job. The blood poured over the leader's feet.

"For this plan to succed…," he said. "A sacrifice is needed…"

* * *

_**Whoa...now that is some serious stuff. Just what kind of spell is this anyway? What else is in store for the young warriors? Stay tuned!**_

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	12. A Familiar Place

_**Hey everyone! I hope I didn't keep you guys waiting too long. What can I say? Some people procrasinate more than others...**_

**_Anyways, I think you may find this chapter a little more interesting...trust me..._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

Matt had been surprised to learn that the Dragon Temple held a bathing area inside its walls. After his fight with Spyro, he accepted the offer to use it without hesitation. It surely had been a long day…

After a short time of relaxing and recovering in the warm waters, Matt redressed himself into a spare set of clothes he had brought with him. He know wore a blue t-shirt with gray lining and a pair of white shorts.

Soon, he found himself walking down the halls towards the main area for dinner. The fight had also brought on an appetite that only the cooking of the moles could satisfy. While he walked past one of the larger chambers, he heard a small amount of an interesting conversation…

"Is it true then about Selema? That poor girl…"

"I'm afraid so…"

Matt stopped in his tracks at the muffled voices of both Hunter and Terrador. While he had great respect for both of them, a voice in his head thought this was a conversation worth listening to. What could be wrong with Selema?

Slowly and quietly, Matt put his ear to the door...

"I'm afraid so, Hunter. Like you, we've never seen a young dragon be so malnourished and beaten. It will take some time before she is fully recovered, both physically and mentally."

"Is there still a chance she can have a healthy and full life?"

Terrador was silent for a few moments. "That is not certain either. When a growing dragon's body is under constant stress like that, the development of the dragon can be put on hold. It is unclear how long she was a prisoner of the apes, so we are unsure how long she had to fight for survival." Terrador paused again. "Because of this, it's very possible that she may not grow into a full-sized adult as she gets older."

Matt had to put a hand over his mouth to hide his gasp. His heart slowly sank in his chest. Unfortunately, there was more…

"What about her wings?" Hunter asked. "They're completely bent out of shape."

Terrador sighed from the other side of the door. "Yes…I'm afraid that the news isn't much better. We know when Malefor was still alive, he would on occasion have his army kidnap a dragon for reasons we still do not understand. If he needed them for a long period of time, he would allow the apes to cripple their wings to prevent flight so they would not escape."

"That's…how heinous…even for Malefor. Are you saying they might have done the same to Selema?"

"I'm almost certain that is the case. From what we can tell, her wings are damaged permanently. No magic we know can heal them now. Unless there's a miracle, Selema will never be able to fly again."

Matt walked away from the door, not able to listen anymore. His eyes fell to the ground as he walked onward, not caring where he ended up.

His heart was suddenly filled with sympathy for Selema. Even though he had rescued her from the apes, the damage had still been done. The part of her not being able to fly hit Matt hard the most. Even though he wasn't a dragon, he'd still been lucky enough to know what flying was like…and now she would never know that feeling.

Somehow, Matt found his way to the main hall. Spyro and Cynder were already there eating with Sparx. After taking a seat with them, he noticed quickly that his once eager appetite had suddenly disappeared.

The meal went slower than he'd expected. Most of the talk was about the sparring match earlier that day. Sparx listened in awe as Spyro and Cynder both gave him details to some of the best parts.

Spyro then asked Matt about how he managed to disappear in a flash, then reappear on the other side of the arena within seconds. "How did you do that?"

Matt looked up while putting on a good face. "Oh…that…it was just something I picked up on my travels. It comes in handy sometimes."

"You wouldn't want to show us how to do it, would you?"

"Uh…" That certain technique was one he was unsure a dragon could learn…especially one he learned in another world.

Once everyone was fully satisfied, Spyro decided that he wanted to go ahead and call it a night.

"I'm still a little wiped after that battle," the purple dragon said with a chuckle.

"I'm wiped from just watching you both," Cynder added. She yawned slowly.

"Yeah," Matt replied. "That does sound pretty good." He stretched out his arms. "My bones still ache a little…"

After bidding everyone good-night, Matt walked back to his room. He then entered and started to walk over towards the bed. For some reason, he just couldn't get his mind off of Selema. A part of him wanted to go and check up on her again, but Matt just couldn't face the dragoness yet knowing her fate. He wished deep down that there was something more he could do to help her.

There was something…but would it work?

As Matt was a few feet away from his bed, a wave of exhaustion suddenly fell over him that made him stumble forward. It was as though he'd been covered in a blanket of numbness…and he couldn't fight back. All he could do was watch as he started to black out and fall forward…

* * *

The next thing he knew, Matt opened his eyes to find himself still standing. "Whoa," he said to himself. "What a rush…"

As he looked around, the young human found himself in a place filled to the brim with books. A large crystal lay into the middle of the chamber.

A sudden realization came to him. He'd been to this place before.

"No way…," Matt muttered. "Am I…?"

"That would be correct, young human."

Matt whirled to his right at the sound of the familiar voice. He craned his neck upward to reply. "Ignitus?"

The large blue dragon, who by now went by the Chronicler, slowly nodded in response. "Correct again. It's a pleasure to see you in the Dragon Realms again, Matt."

Out of respect, the young human gave a small bow to Ignitus before going on. "It's great to be back, Ignitus. Long time no see."

"Indeed it has been. First off, I'd like to thank and congratulate you on your success of defeating the evil that threatened all of the worlds besides this one."

Matt rubbed his head. "Well…I'm glad to have done it."

"Also, I never properly thanked you for your efforts in defeating Malchoir and saving Spyro. This world owes you a debt that which in can never repay."

"Again…I'm glad to do it, Ignitus. It was no problem." Matt then raised his hand. "Just out of curiousity, how exactly am I here? I know my body is back in Warfang, but how can you call the mind of a human? I thought you could only call dragons."

Ignitus chuckled. "A good question, young one. I found out the answer fairly quickly when I brought you here the first time. While it is true that I'm only allowed to summon a dragon to my presence, there is nothing I know of that says I cannot summon a being that is _not of this world_."

Matt nodded. "Ok…I got you…sort of…"

Ignitus walked over to the other side of the crystal. "Well, then. I suppose you are wondering why I have once again summoned you to this sacred place?"

"It came across my mind once or twice…"

Igntius sighed. "Unfortunately, I have brought you here to issue a warning. There is a growing entity out there somewhere that is too much of a threat to ignore."

Matt narrowed his brow. "A threat? Really? It doesn't have to do with the apes does it? I thought they were nearly all wiped out."

"I'm afraid that I'm not exactly sure if the apes have anything to do with it. As you already know, Malefor's forces are on the brink of extinction. However, there still may the tiniest bit of influence left of him out there in our world."

"No way," Matt exclaimed. He then asked another question. "How are you sure?"

"I was hoping you'd ask. Do you remember what I showed you last time?"

"Yeah…wasn't it Spyro's book? There was a picture of me in it."

"Do you know why I showed you that picture?"

Matt paused for a second to think, then answered again. "It was because you knew I could save Spyro and Cynder…and I did…"

Ignitus then walked over to the shelves and called over two books. One was purple while the other was black. He turned to Matt again. "These books record the lives of both Spyro and Cynder. There is something within these pages you must see…"

The young human hesitated. It didn't really feel right to read his friends' potential fates. Reluctantly, he went forward as Ignitus opened both books.

Inside each page was a different drawing of the same two events. The return of Matt…and the rescue of Selema.

"Ok…," Matt exclaimed. "Is this all?"

Ignitus shook his head no. "It is what's on the next pages that concerns me most…" With a wave of his paw, the new Chronicler flipped the pages of both books.

Matt's eyes widened. "Huh? There's nothing."

"Precisely," Ignitus said. "Normally, there would be a slight glimpse at either Spyro or Cynder's future. But as you pointed out…there is nothing to be read."

The young human shook his head. "Wait a minute…if there's nothing…what does that mean?" His brown eyes widenend in horror. "You're not saying...that they're going to…"

The large dragon shook his head. "I cannot tell. I have checked every book of every living dragon here and it's all the same. As of right now, the future is extremely unclear…"

Matt sighed. "So you think this has something to do with the threat?"

"I'm almost certain that it does, young warrior."

"Then…then…what does this have to do me?"

Ignitus gave Matt a strange look. "These changes seemed to have occurred the moment that you rescued young Selema from the clutches of the apes."

The young human took a step back. "Wait…does Selema have anything to do with this?"

Ignitus nodded in response. "Yes...and that is another reason I have brought you here. It is with great shame that I must request another task from you, young warrior. One that only you can complete."

Matt sighed. "I had a feeling you were going to say that."

"Yes…but before I reveal your task…there is information I have that you will need to hear before I send you back."

"Ok…what kind of information?" He paused. "Is it about Selema?"

"Yes." Ignitus smiled. "What is it you wish to know? Keep in mind that there are some things I cannot reveal."

"Ok…," Matt muttered. He thought long and hard…

"I guess the biggest question I have is…why? Why did the apes keep Selema as a prisoner? I know for a fact that she had it pretty tough."

"Yes, indeed she did. However, in order to fully answer your question, I believe it is necessary to start from the beginning…"

With another wave, Spyro and Cynder's books returned to their places. In their place, a new book which was pink in color floated in front of Matt.

"Is this…?" he asked.

"Yes…this is Selema's book. Are you ready to see into it's pages?"

Matt stared at it for a moment. A part of him thought it unfair that he should be doing this. Then again, how else was he going to find out about her past?

"Yeah…I'm ready…" The pink book slowly opened...

* * *

_**Yeah, I'd say that's a good place to stop for now. I couldn't just leave old Ignitus out of this one, could I? Hell no! **_

**_What will Matt learn of Selema's past? What kind of threat could be dangerous enough to scare Igntius? Malefor? I don't know..._**

**_All this and more, next chapter!_**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	13. Selema's Tale

_**Hey everyone! First of all, thanks again for all the support and I hope that you continue it. Second of all, this chapter may not be for those who are weak at heart, and it will probably be hard for those who are strong at heart. Enjoy!**_

**_On a side note, I guess the suspense got to some people out there. (points to the dead body of _Alec_) Maybe I should wait till after this chapter...aww screw it. Now while I use my author given powers to revive Alec..._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the character Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

With Matt listening intently, Ignitus slowly began to tell Selema's story.

"Our tale begins shortly before the latest Year of the Dragon. If you were going to guess, this was the same clutch of eggs that included both Spyro and Cynder. However, you should understand the growing threat of the rise of Malefor's forces. The other guardians and I were of course aware of the prophecy surrounding Spyro's egg and how the apes might try and stop that from happening."

Ignitus slowly waved his paw, opening the pages of the pink book. The first pages showed the picture of two dragons that stood very close to each other. The first was a red dragon with a purple underbelly and wings along with two sharp horns that resembled Spyro's. The second was a deep blue dragon with a lighter blue underbelly and wings. It had four horns atop it's head that resembled Cynder and Selema's horns. Both dragons had blue eyes.

Matt looked them both over for a moment before widening his eyes. "Wait…are they…?"

Ignitus nodded back. "The two dragons you see before you are Selema's mother and father. Her father was a fire dragon by the name of Aragon, while her mother was an ice dragoness named Aurona."

The Chronicler paused for a moment. "Long before the raid on the Dragon Temple, there was much fear and hysteria over the rising threat of the Dark Master. The battles had taken their toll on our race, so the upcoming Year of the Dragon suddenly became of more importance than ever before. However, even though we offered the best protection, there were a few of the mated pairs that considered the possibility of not bringing them to the Temple."

"Were Selema's parents one of them?" Matt asked.

"Yes. Though we advised all of the parents that it was essential to leave their young in our hands, Aragon and Aurona made the decision against it. They then both went deep into hiding into the mountains beyond Pioneer Lake and the Dragon Temple without giving us any word of their intentions."

"You can't blame them, can you?"

"No, I do not. They truly believed they could give their child a better life away from all of the fighting and conflict. Don't be mistaken, both of them were strong dragons that were well-trained in their respective elements."

Ignitus then flipped the page again. This picture showed both Aragon and Aurona again, but this time they weren't alone. They each stood happily over a newly emerged hatchling who Matt could only assume was Selema.

"As you can see, Aragon and Aurona's child was born into this world around the time after the raid on the Temple. They were rewarded with a healthy and happy young hatchling. As you already know, they named her Selema."

Matt looked over the picture with eager eyes. There was no doubt that both parents were ecstatic over the birth of their child, with each giving her a nudge with their muzzles. The young human couldn't help but smile for a moment.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop him from remembering what would possibly happen next…

Ignitus then continued. "So for the next few years, this small family continued to live on in hiding. No one had known where they had gone, so they didn't have any contact with the outside world whatsoever. However…"

The large dragon turned to the next page again. The next picture showed only Aurona standing over little Selema…and tears were flowing from the adult's eyes.

"What happened…why is she sad?" Matt asked reluctantly. He had a feeling what the answer was.

Ignitus sighed. "Being the stronger of the two parents, Aragon was usually the one who would hunt for their meals. He usually did this on his own so Aurona could watch over their daughter.

"One day, while he was hunting, Aragon was discovered by one of the many ape patrols. Being outnumbered, he knew his chances for survival were very slim as the patrol would never stop coming after him. Knowing he couldn't outrun them and fearing for his family's safety, Aragon led the patrol away from their hiding place."

"No way…," Matt said blankly. He lowered his head.

"Aragon fought off the apes as best as he could, but eventually he was overwhelmed by his enemy. He was knocked out and taken as a prisoner. I can only assume that he was eventually killed for refusing to reveal the location of any his fellow dragons."

Matt gasped. "Oh man…that's…that's horrible." He had a feeling that this story would only get worse.

"Indeed. When he didn't return for several days, Aurona could only assume the worst. She then took it upon herself to raise their child as best as she could in memory of her fallen mate."

The young human ran his hand through his hair. He took a deep breath before asking his next question. "So…what happened next?"

"For a time, Aurona managed to keep Selema safe. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that the apes suspected there was a chance that there may be more dragons in that certain area."

This time when Ignitus turned the page, Matt gasped in horror at what he saw. Aurona was being pursued by the dreadwings while still clutching the very young Selema in her arms.

"Oh no…," Matt exclaimed.

"Eventually…they were found," Ignitus continued. "While she did her best to escape, Aurona was shot down by several arrows to her wings. Somehow, they both managed to survive the fall. Before the apes found her, she begged Selema to run for her life. Reluctantly, Selema did what she was told and found a safe hiding place. Aurona then used the last of her powers to freeze her daughter in place so she wouldn't see…"Ignitus put his down. Even he couldn't describe what happened next.

Matt instantly went to his knees. His eyes faced the floor. This was becoming more than he could possibly take. A small tear rolled down his face. "Poor Selema…," he said. "I had no idea…" He wiped away the tear and looked back to the new Chronicler once more. "So then…how can she still be here then? The apes had captured her…why didn't they just kill her like they did…her parents…?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Ignitus replied. "But I have my theories."

"What kind of theories?"

Ignitus was silent for a few moments before continuing on. "The only reason the apes would keep Selema alive for that long…would be to use her…"

Matt's eyes narrowed as he clenched his fist. "For what…?"

"I don't know. I cannot find what exactly they were planning, but I cannot imagine that it would be for anything good."

Matt turned his back to Ignitus as his arms folded over his head. "What do you want me to do, Ignitus? Why…why tell me all of this?"

"Alright…I have kept you waiting long enough." Ignitus took a deep breath. "I believe that you and Selema share a connection…a strange one…but a connection indeed."

"What do you mean?"

"Is it true what you told Spyro and Cynder? About your dreams?"

Matt nodded back. "The voice who called out to me…it was Selema. I know it was. I've been having them since before I got here."

"Then I am sure of it. Somehow, even though you were not even close to her, she called out for help and you heard it. That, young warrior, is an astounding thing." Ignitus paused. "Which is why I am asking that _you_ be the one who trains her…"

Matt's jaw dropped about as far as it had ever dropped in his entire life. "You want me to…what?"

Ignitus gave a firm nod back. "If this threat is as dangerous as I fear it may be, Selema must be ready to face it. She may be more important than we both realize…"

"Ignitus…," Matt said blankly. The last request had been outrageous, but this one? "You can't be serious? I…I couldn't train Selema…I mean…I'm not a dragon. What could I possibly teach her that Spyro and the others can't?"

"I would not have asked this of you if I didn't think it was important," Ignitus replied.

"But...but…" There were so many reasons that Matt could think of not to train her that it was making him go crazy.

"Like I have said many times before…the choice of doing this is yours and yours alone, Matt. I will not force you to go against what you feel is right. After all, those feelings are part of what makes you a Keyblade warrior to begin with."

"I don't know…I just don't know." Matt paused a moment. "Can I tell the others? They're going to have a hard time believing this one…especially Spyro. You still haven't told him yet…have you?"

Ignitus shook his head no. "Spyro and the others will learn of my fate in due time."

Suddenly, Matt felt sleepy again. He was fading faster and faster. "No…wait…not yet…" His eyes began to close.

"Good luck to you, Matt. The fate of this world is in your hands…"

* * *

"Ah!" Matt awoke with a start to find himself back in his room laying on his bed once more. "When will he ever warn me about that?"

The young human buried his face in his hands and groaned. "Aww…man. What have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

The ape leader looked over the body when the spell was finally complete. The ape, formerly one of his subordinates, started to shudder with movement.

"Commander…?" the leader asked. "Can you hear me?"

A cold voice replied back to him. "How long has it been…?" This person was very weak, seeing as how the body he now occupied had been dead for a few hours.

"Four years…"

"And our Master…what has become of him…?"

The leader gathered himself before replying. "I'm…I'm afraid the Dark Master…he is no more…"

The new ape was silent for a few moments. "Was it the purple whelpling…?"

"We believe so…as well as our former servant, Cynder."

"Then why have you brought me back? Has your stupidity reached new heights?"

"I wouldn't have done so without good reason, sir. You see, the energy that I used to bring you back…"

"Was it...the special energy…?"

"Yes…"

"Good…" The newly resurrected ape used his new mouth to curl into an evil grin. "Now we can begin…"

* * *

_***sighs* Well, there you have it. Hope you guys aren't too in the flaming mood about Selema. If you are, then it's your problem. **_

**_Plus, you could probably guess by now what the apes did...but what could they possibly do now? What about Matt? Can he go through with Ignitus's request? All that and more next chapter!_**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	14. Decisions, Decisions

_**Hey everyone! Thanks again for the support and cookies! Just kidding... To Hand of Kane, I don't mind your idea, in fact I like it! However, I wasn't planning on having Selema join Matt around the KH worlds in this story...but that doesn't mean I won't consider it. **_

**_Where were we again? Oh, yeah! _**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

The next morning came slowly for Matt as sleep didn't come easy for him the previous night. No one could have blamed him had they known what was on his mind lately.

He splashed some water over his face, and then went over to the window for a second. The same questions had been pounding in his thoughts all night.

What connection was there between him and Selema? He hadn't even known she'd existed until a few days ago. Had they really been destined to meet? If so, why couldn't he have helped her when he was in the Dragon Realms the first time?

"Ugh…," Matt groaned. "I need an aspirin…" He then remembered his other problem. The Gummi ship. He had no idea how long it would be before someone would come and help him repair it. He could be stuck in the Dragon Realms for weeks…maybe even months…

The young human took a deep breath. He'd learned long ago that it was foolish to try and tackle a million problems at once…although sometimes in his line of work that tended to happen.

Matt quickly got himself dressed and left his room. He started to walk the halls of the Dragon Temple. For some reason, he couldn't face Spyro and Cynder just yet, even if it meant not eating with them this morning. While he really needed to talk with them, there was something he had to do first.

When he finally reached his destination, Matt took a deep breath. Slowly, the young human raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Selema. It's me, Matt."

"You can come in."

Matt opened the door to her chamber and stepped inside. The pink dragoness was beaming up at him as she lay on her bed.

"Hey, there," Matt exclaimed. "How are you feeling today? Any better?"

"A little better," Selema replied. "There are still some pains here and there…but it's not too bad."

"That's good…" Matt went over and pulled up the stool he used yesterday and sat down again. "So…how are you holding up?"

Selema's eyes dropped downward. "I…I guess I'm ok…"

"Spyro and Cynder…they told me you don't remember anything else about yourself. Is that true?"

Selema nodded. "I wish I knew more. I could have family out there waiting for me." She paused a moment. "I don't even know who I really am anymore."

Matt's heart skipped a beat. A part of him wanted to tell her the truth, but his heart wouldn't let him. "I'm really sorry…"

Selema shook her head. "What do you have to be sorry for, Matt?"

"Everything," he blurted out. "No one should go through what happened to you. I only wish I could've found you sooner."

They sat silently for a few moments before Selema broke it. "Hey, Matt?"

"Yeah, Selema?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Selema looked at him with her blue eyes. "Why were you and Spyro fighting yesterday?"

Matt raised a brow. "How'd you know about that?"

"I heard some loud noises coming from outside, so I went over to the window and saw you guys fighting."

"Oh. Well, Spyro wanted to test both me and himself to see how much stronger we've gotten. He and I are good friends, so we didn't really go as hard as we wanted to. It was still a good fight, though."

"But how could you keep up with him? I thought humans were weaker than dragons."

Matt chuckled a bit at her comment. "That's true…but there are some exceptions…like me."

Selema shook her head a little. "It's funny… I know nothing about you. I've never met a human being until now."

"Well…uh…that's because I'm not really from around here."

Selema looked at him with suspicion. "What do you mean?"

Matt shook his head . "Selema…I'm…" He took a deep breath and then looked her in the eye. "I didn't just come here from another place…I came here from another world."

Selema's eyes widened. "Another world? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about a world that's a part of the whole universe…outside the Dragon Realms. There are several worlds out there."

The dragoness could only stare at him. "So…why are you here in this world?"

Matt sat still for a moment. "Well, if you really want to know. It's because of this." He reached out his hand and summoned back his Keyblade in a flash of light.

Selema flinched at the sight. "Sorry…," she said. "That's just really…"

"Strange," Matt replied. "I know. But the Keyblade was what brought me here in the first place."

For the next few minutes, the young human explained the story about his previous adventure in the Dragon Realms. It included meeting Spyro and Cynder and how they went on to defeat Malchoir.

"Wow…," Selema replied when he was finished. "That sounds so exciting. Spyro and Cynder told me their story and how they defeated the Dark Master, too." She then hung her head again.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked.

"It's just…so much has happened lately...with the world almost being destroyed and all…and now you saving me…it's all just so crazy."

Matt nodded. He took a moment to look over at Selema's wings. Terrador's diagnosis from the night before was still ringing in his mind.

The pink dragoness noticed this for herself. "They've been like that for a while now," she said sadly. "I think they did it so I wouldn't fly away…not that it matters." She paused. "It's funny. I don't even know how to fly. I guess I never will now."

Matt's heart was already filled with sympathy for Selema, but now it was overflowing. There might be one thing he could do to help her. He'd been going back and forth on whether or not to try it all night…and now he wanted to do it more than anything.

"Do you still want to?" Matt suddenly asked.

Selema shot a confused look at him. "Well, yes…but Terrador told me…"

"Hold that thought," Matt interrupted. He took the Keyblade in his hand and rested the tip on the backside of the dragoness.

"Matt? What are you doing?" She asked nervously.

Matt was asking himself the same question. He hadn't used this certain spell in a while. Normally, it would be saved only for a life-death situation. This time, however, he decided that now was a good time as ever to use it.

"Just relax," he said. "I promise you this won't hurt a bit." He closed his eyes and concentrated his energy into his blade. "_Curaga_," he muttered.

A green light suddenly started to pour from his Keyblade, slowly spreading around the pink dragoness.

Selema closed her eyes. "What's…happening?" she asked Matt. He didn't reply back due to his concentration.

Before their eyes, all of the gashes on Selema's scales slowly started to heal themselves, including the one on her forehead.

That wasn't the most amazing part, either. Selema gasped in shock as her wings slowly began to twist themselves back into their proper place. Matt could hear the bones slowly crack and reform. The dragoness grunted while gritting her teeth in the process.

Suddenly, it was all over. The green light melded completely into the young dragoness. The spell had worked. Selema now was completely healed.

"There," Matt said while breathing a little heavily. "Does that feel better now?"

The dragoness stared at him with admiration. "I don't believe it…" She looked back at her wings. "Is this even happening?" She closed her eyes and slowly flapped them.

Matt could feel the small push of air. "It is…" he simply said.

Selema turned to him. Her eyes began to fill with tears. "Matt…I…I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Selema," the young human replied. He formed a large grin on his face. "You deserve a second chance."

"Thank you…," the dragoness replied. "The pain…it's gone." She moved her paws around her body. "Thank you so much, Matt. This…may be the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

Matt placed a hand on her back. "Don't mention it," he said. "I'm glad to help."

For the first time since he'd met her, Selema put on one of the biggest smiles Matt had ever seen. If she still wasn't so tired, she probably would've tackled him out of pure joy. It was one of those moments that made Matt's duty all worth the while.

He decided there and then that now wasn't a good time to talk with Selema about what Ignitus had asked of him. It just didn't feel right…

Matt stayed with Selema a few more minutes before he asked to leave so he could get something to eat. He promised his dragoness friend that they'd hang out again very soon before waving good bye.

When he was back in the halls, Matt let out a huge sigh of relief. It wouldn't get any easier from this point on…

* * *

As Matt had expected, both Spyro and Cynder were shocked to learn about what 'the Chronicler' had bestowed upon him. They all stood in front of the balcony.

"You have to what?" they both exclaimed at him with widened eyes.

"It's true," the young human replied. "The Chronicler summoned me last night and asked me to train Selema."

"You can't be serious," Cynder said.

"It's the truth, you guys. Why would I make something like this up?"

"I don't know," Spyro replied. "But it just doesn't make any sense. Why would the Chroincler pick _you_ of all people to train her?"

"Why would Selema need to be trained anyway?" Cynder added. "She's been through such a terrible ordeal. She can't be ready for this now."

"I know," Matt replied. He took a deep breath and went on to explain the threat that 'the Chronicler' had forseen and that he thought Selema was somehow important in all of it.

"A threat?" Spyro asked. "What kind of threat? I haven't sensed any kind of danger since we brought Selema back. And the Guardians would have told us immediately if something was wrong." He shook his head. "I just don't understand."

"Join the club," Matt said. He leaned against the stone railing. "I mean…what am I supposed to teach her? How to swing a sword? Our fighting styles are way too different."

"Exactly," Spyro exclaimed.

"Besides," Cynder spoke up. "We don't even know what element or power she may have. For all we know, she may not even have a power to begin with."

"She does," Matt said. "The Chronicler said that the apes kept her alive because they wanted to use her for something…he just didn't say what for."

"Maybe…," Cynder shook her head. "It wouldn't be the first time…"

Spyro placed a paw on the black dragoness's back. "I'm sure they weren't trying to do to Selema what they did to you, Cynder. And even if they did, they wouldn't have succeeded anyway. I can feel good in her just like I felt good in you."

Cynder could only smile. "Thanks…"

"Anytime," Spyro replied. He turned to Matt. "So…what are you going to do? I know the idea is crazy, but if I know the Chronicler…he wouldn't have asked you to do this if it wasn't important."

Matt sighed. "I don't know, you guys. I mean..." He paused. "Cynder's right. Selema has been through a lot, and I don't want to do something that isn't in her best interests."

"It's not like we don't trust you, Matt," Cynder said. "You're one of the best people we know, not to mention one of the toughest."

Spyro nodded in agreement. "You should do what you feel is right. Just remember to keep Selema's choice in mind too."

"I will," Matt said. "I just need…time."

"Well, while you decide, maybe it would be best if you told Terrador and the others what you just told us. They'd want to know about any potential threat, especially one that the Chronicler may have foretold."

"And if there is something," Cynder added. "We need to get ready for it."

"Right," Matt nodded firmly. He grinned a little. "Thanks again you guys…"

"For what?" they both asked.

"For being good listeners…"

* * *

Matt hadn't told anyone about healing Selema, so it came as quite a shock to everyone when she was seen walking around the Temple on her own. Each of the Guardians could only stare in disbelief at the young dragoness.

"It's a miracle," Cyril exclaimed.

"This can't be possible," Terrador added. "Do you remember how this happened, Selema?"

"I don't know," she replied back. "I guess I'm just a quick healer." She managed to sneak a wink at Matt, who happened to be in the same area at the time. He smiled in return in acknowledgement.

Spyro and Cynder then took it upon themselves to show Selema around the Temple and the rest of the city. The smaller dragoness was hesitant at first, but she eventually decided to go along with it, especially when Matt volunteered to accompany them.

The four of them, including Sparx, spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the city after they were through with the Temple. Selema looked around in awe at the new surroundings. She admitted that she'd never seen a place like this, not after all that time stuck in that cave.

The entire time, Spyro shot Matt a few anxious looks. The Keyblader knew exactly what his dragon friend had in mind. He wasn't any closer to making a decision on whether or not to train Selema like Ignitus had asked him to. After spending a little more time with her, Matt just couldn't find it within himself to tell her.

But he couldn't just ignore Ignitus's warning either. Matt had never turned down someone's request for help before, especially if it involved serious danger to those around him.

_Not yet…_He thought to himself. _I can't just force this on her yet…she needs more time…heck I need more time. _

Later, when the group had returned to the Temple to eat, Selema couldn't help herself but to eat hearty. She'd never been properly fed before, and Matt could tell that there'd be nothing to stop her from eating her fill of meat.

"Wow…," she breathed between bites. "Is this what you guys eat every day?"

"Yeah," Spyro replied. "It's not much, but…"

"This is great!" Selema exclaimed before diving back in. Everyone else could only shake their heads and laugh. They didn't blame her one bit.

Several hours later, Matt and Selema were walking towards their rooms. She had been given one a few doors down from him. When they reached his door, they both stopped.

Selema sighed. "Well…I guess it's time…" she said.

"Yeah," Matt replied. "I don't know about you, but I'm beat."

"Me too. It's been a long day." She paused. "I know I've already said it enough, but thank you Matt. For everything…"

Matt nodded in response. "You're welcome, Selema."

"Good night, Matt," she said before she turned away from him.

"Good night, Selema," he replied as she went into her room. When her door was closed, he whispered, "Sweet dreams…"

* * *

Matt had found falling asleep easier than he thought that night.

However, once he was asleep, things got interesting once again…

_Matt was standing in a room. It was surrounded by nothing but white. His clothing had changed to match the background. _

_For some reason, he felt like walking, so he did so for a few minutes. Suddenly, he heard something…_

"_Hello, Matt," a voice spoke from out of nowhere._

_Matt nearly jumped out of his shoes. "Huh? Who's there?"_

"_Do not fear," the voice replied. "I mean you no harm." The voice was one of a female. To Matt, she sounded strong and wise. _

"_Who are you?" he asked. "Where are you?"_

"_Forgive me," the person replied. "I had to be sure it was you."_

_Suddenly, a bright light flashed in front of Matt's eyes, blinding him for the moment. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes for a moment, but when he reopened them he gasped sharply._

_A dragon now stood before the young human. She was a deep blue dragon with a lighter blue underbelly and wings. She also had four horns atop her head that resembled Cynder and Selema's horns. A pair of blue eyes were staring down at him, as well as a small smile._

_Matt's eyes couldn't get any wider. He couldn't help but raise a finger. He had seen this dragoness only in a picture. "Oh man…you…you're…you're…"_

_The dragoness nodded back at him. "My name is Aurona. Selema is my daughter."_

"_But…aren't you…?" She nodded again. "How…?"_

"_I wanted to talk to you, and this was the only way to do it. First of all, I thank you for saving my daughter from that place. I couldn't be more grateful."_

"_It was no problem. I wanted to help her...it's kind of what I do."_

"_Yes, I know all about your endeavors as a wielder of the Keyblade, and Selema couldn't have been in safer hands."_

_Matt nodded. "I'm sorry to ask this, but why are you really here?"_

_Aurona sighed. "I know the task the Chronicler placed on your shoulders, and you seem to be having a debate within yourself, so I have come to help you._

_Matt looked down. "I'm…I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to ignore it, but I also don't know if this is right for Selema. I mean…"_

_Aurona raised a paw. "Do not fret, Matt. Only you can make this choice, because I know only you can complete it."_

"_But why me? What can I do for her that no one can?"_

_Aurona lowered her head so she could look the younger human straight in the eye. "Do you want to know why you heard Selema's cry for help?"_

_Matt nodded back. "Yeah…"_

"_It's because you both were destined to meet. Just like you were always destined to wield the Keyblade. Right before I died, I could only think of Selema. I prayed to the Ancestors that she would be safe." She paused. "And then…I had a vision…"_

"_A vision…?" Matt raised his brow. "Of what…?"_

"_Of you…and how you would save Selema's life and give her reason to live. And that wasn't all that I saw…" She smiled and moved her face away from Matt. She then turned away from him._

"_Wait! What? What do you mean? What else did you see?" _

_Aurona turned back to Matt one last time. "Please…watch over my daughter, Matt. A long and perilous road lies ahead for both of you, and she needs you now more than ever."_

_A light started to shine around the dragoness, forcing Matt to shield his eyes. "Wait! Hold on a second!" He couldn't stand it much longer. "I don't understand!"_

_The last thing he heard was, "May the Ancestors watch over you…" After that, it all went blank…_

_**Whoa, did you guys keep up with all of that? I barely did and I wrote it! **_

**_Will Matt take it upon himself to train Selema? What else did Aurona see before she died? Are you getting tired of waiting for something bigger to happen? (Just kidding, lol) Check it out next chapter._**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	15. Matt's Choice

_**Hey everyone! Sorry it took me a while to get this next chap out. What can I say? The new school year has started, so a LOT of my time has been filled. I will continue to do my best to update as much as I can though, especially for this story. **_

**_I have a feeling that some of you thought it odd that Selema's dead mother somehow managed to talk to Matt, but I'm going by the rule that I think a spirit can visit someone in their dreams. Why not bend the rules a little?_**

**_This next chapter probably won't be all that exciting, but I think it was necessary. You'll see what I mean..._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

The head ape, known as Artemis, walked into a dark chamber slowly. "My Lord…?"

"You may enter…," a dark voice replied to him. Suddenly, several torches on the sides of the wall lit up simultaneously. The room was now illuminated to show this ape lying on a makeshift bed. His appearance had changed dramatically since he'd acquired this new body. His eyes had gone to a shade of green, and his fur had darkened to a deadly black.

Artemis entered and got down on one knee before this ape. "My Lord…how are you feeling now? Do you feel any stronger?"

This 'Lord' shook his head. "I still feel weak in this body. Why did you give me one of the weaker mongrels as a vessel?"

"I'm sorry, sir. It wasn't out of choice, but out of desperation. You see…when we were attacked…this warrior…"

"Go on…"

"My men…they were all defeated by this…this human."

"A human?" The Lord roared. "That's impossible!"

"You don't understand, sir. This boy, he is more powerful than he looks." Artemis paused and gulped. "He wields the Keyblade, my Lord."

"The Keyblade? Don't be a fool. That weapon is a myth."

"I speak the truth! He not only used its power to wipe out my forces, but he also is allied with the purple dragon."

The Lord growled in response. "That little whelpling…he will pay once I have regained my strength."

"Forgive me for saying it, but we don't know how long that will take."

"Not long," the lord replied. "I only need enough power to go through with the plan. And once it has been fulfilled, this world will be ours once again…"

* * *

Matt couldn't believe what he was about to undergo. After everything that he had ever done during his time as a Keyblade warrior, this may have just been the oddest by far.

However, one thing was for certain. Aurona, Selema's dead mother, had appeared to him just to give her support. She had come to him, just like Ignitus had requested him before, and had given her very blessing to her daugther's savior.

"I can't let Aurona down," Matt had said to himself. "It would be an insult to both her and Aragon if I didn't go through with it. I have no idea how I'm going to do train Selema, but somehow I have to try."

Matt spent most of the morning planning out his moves very carefully. He ate with Spyro, Cynder, Selema, Sparx, and Hunter as he usually did. Spyro asked him if there was any word on help for the Gummi Ship, but Matt said there wasn't anything new to report. Neo and the King were doing their best, but there was nothing so far.

When they were all finished, Matt took Selema aside. "There's something I need to talk to you about …something important."

The pink dragoness looked at him with a strange look in her eye. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

Matt sighed. "I…I can't really answer that question yet. Can you please meet me at the balcony around midday?"

"I guess…but why can't you tell me now?"

"I just can't yet, ok? I promise I'll explain everything then. Does that sound good?"

Selema sighed and looked down. "Well…alright…" Matt could tell that the dragoness knew something was up, but it also looked like she trusted him enough to wait.

The truth was, Matt did want to ask Selema to train with him, but there was something he had to do first…

* * *

"You wish to what…?" Terrador exclaimed. He, Volteer, and Cyril all stared at him wide-eyed.

"Yes," Matt replied. "I know it sounds weird, but I'm asking that you'll let me take Selema under my wing for a few days." He, along with Spyro and Cynder behind him, stood before the Guardians as he made his request. They both had suggested he do this before going to Selema about it.

"And what exactly are you planning to do with young Selema?" Cyril asked.

Matt took a deep breath. "Well, you know how Spyro and I told you about the threat that the Chronicler told me about?" The three Guardians all nodded in response. "Well…he also asked me to…to…"

"Go on, young warrior," Terrador proclaimed.

"He asked me to…train Selema…"

All three Guardians gave him the same look, which was a mix of confusion and shock.

"You," Terrador spoke up. "Train Selema?"

"How…how…," Volteer was so shocked he couldn't even use his massive vocabulary to describe it.

"Spyro," Cyril said. "Is this true?"

"To be honest," Spyro replied. "I'm not really sure what to believe. None of this makes any sense. However, I trust Matt with my life and I don't think he'd make something like this up."

"The same goes with me, too," Cynder added. The young human's spirits rose a little thanks the support of his dragon companions.

Terrador shook his head. "Forgive me, young ones, but I find it hard to believe that the Chronicler, as wise as he may be, would ask a human to train a dragon in combat."

"I did too," Matt spoke up. "I'm not exactly sure what it all means…but believe me when I say that this is something I have to do." Each of the Guardians continued to look at him strangely, which made the young human groan in frustration.

Spyro then stepped forward. "Look, I agree, it does sound crazy for Matt to train Selema." He looked back at Matt again before facing the Guardians again. "But if I remember right, it was also the Chronicler who asked Matt to try and rescue both me and Cynder. If it wasn't for him, she and I wouldn't be here right now."

"Not to mention that he's helped save both Spyro and Selema's lives," Cynder added.

"We are not questioning Matt's past endeavors," Volteer said. "We just find that his style of training wouldn't benefit a dragon."

"Also, Selema's well being must be taken into consideration," Cyril added. "Her state of mind may still quite fragile."

"First of all," Matt said. "I won't do it if Selema doesn't want to. It wouldn't be right to force her against her will. And I agree with you both, she may not be ready for this, but we won't know until we try. Please…at least let me ask her."

Spyro nodded in agreement. "I think that's fair enough, don't you agree?" Cynder nodded her approval as well.

The Guardians each exchanged a look. Matt could tell there was much internal debate going on. After a few anxious moments of waiting, he got his answer.

"Very well, young warrior," Terrador replied. "We will allow you permission to train young Selema, but only if she agrees."

"Spyro makes a good point," Cyril added. "If the Chronicler requested this task of you, then so be it."

Matt breathed a sigh of relief, then bowed in respect. "Thank you…I give you my word that I won't do anything to make you all regret it."

"In the mean time," Terrador spoke up. "We will do what we can to find out more about this threat you speak of."

With that, Matt left the chamber along with Spyro and Cynder. "Thanks you guys," he exclaimed. "I appreciate you both sticking up for me like that."

"Don't mention it," Spyro replied. "But…how exactly will you train Selema?" Cynder also wanted to know of Matt's plan.

"No idea," Matt said honestly. He narrowed his eyes. "But I'll think of something…at least I hope I think of something…"

* * *

The young dragoness waited on the balcony overlooking the city of Warfang. The sun was rising directly above her, indicating high noon. It was the time Matt had asked her to be there.

While she waited, Selema had been thinking about everything that had happened recently. It was almost too good to be true. One moment she was strapped up by her paws in a cave, and now she had her own bed to sleep on (which was easily more comfortable).

However, there was one thing troubling the pink dragoness. The night before, she'd had very much difficulty sleeping due to a terrible nightmare.

Selema had dreamt that she was still in that camp, surrounded by awful smells and sights. She remembered the feeling of constant weakness and pain, like she was being drained of all hope. For a moment, she thought that nothing had changed. Luckily, she had awakened in time to realize that she was safe.

The dragoness sighed. No matter how hard she tried, Selema just couldn't recall anything about her life before the apes. No family, no friends, no nothing. _Who am I?_ she asked herself sadly. _What am I supposed to do?_

Selema was about to start tearing before a voice from behind broke her train of thought.

"Hey, Selema…" She whirled around to find Matt had arrived like he promised he would. "Thanks for coming to meet me here." The young human walked over to her side and leaned against the railing.

"You said it was important," she replied. Selema had been curious to know what was so important to talk to her in private. "So what is it, Matt?"

Matt took a deep breath, then he looked her in the eye. "Selema…I'm not going to lie to you. I don't know what it is, but there's something out there…something dangerous."

Selema's eyes widened slightly. "What…what do you mean?"

"I mean that there is still a threat to this world. One that is dangerous enough to where a lot of people are in trouble."

Selema shook her head in confusion. "But…I thought that there was peace. How could this have happened?"

"I'm not sure. Have you ever heard of the Chronicler, Selema?"

"No…"

"Well, he was the one who warned me of this danger. I already passed it on to the Guardians and Spyro."

Selema was still confused. "Matt…why are you telling me this?"

"Because…because you need to be ready for what's out there." Matt paused. "And I want to be the one to prepare you for it."

Selema froze, her mouth hanging wide open. "What…?"

Matt nodded. "It's true, Selema. I want to take you out into the wilderness and teach you how to fight. It would be just you and me…no one else. I know it sounds weird, but I wouldn't be asking you right now if I didn't mean it."

Selema could only stare at him, shocked at his words. "W…why? Why me? I don't understand…"

Matt slowly placed a hand on one her shoulders. "Selema…do you want to know why the apes kept you prisoner?"

Selema gasped. "Because I'm a dragon…?"

"Sort of…," Matt replied. "The truth is…they were…they were using you. I'm not sure why, but there was something about you that made the apes keep you alive."

Selema lowered her head and stared at the ground. She had never really known why they'd kept her there in the first place…unless…

"Are you saying that…I'm some sort of special dragon or something?"

"I don't know," Matt said. "We don't even know what you're element is yet…"

"That's if I have one to begin with…"

"I'm sure you do. Maybe we can find out together…if you'll let me." Matt paused. "So what do you say, Selema? Do you want to find out?" He extended out his hand.

Selema looked at it for a moment before looking back at him. "Matt…you really want to teach me?"

"Yes, I do," Matt replied. "I won't force you to do this if you don't want to, Selema. It's your choice."

Selema's mind was racing at this point. She really hadn't put much thought into learning to fight, but now here she was being offered to be trained by someone she'd only met just days before. Someone who wasn't even a dragon.

Flashes of the nightmare again showed up in Selema's mind. She realized then that she didn't want to go back to being looked at as weak. She was tired of being afraid…

The more and more she thought about it, the more and more she had the desire to go with Matt. Of all the people she knew for now, he was without a doubt the one she trusted most of all. He already proven he cared for her well being. Saving her life, healing her, even being straightforward about asking to teach her. It made her feel…well…safe.

Selema didn't hesitate as she raised her paw and accepted Matt's hand. "Ok…I'll do it."

Matt's lips slowly curved into a smile. "Are you sure…?"

The pink dragoness nodded. "Yeah…I'm sure."

Matt then nodded with her. "Ok, then. It's settled…tomorrow…we begin…"

* * *

_**Well...there you have it. Now that Matt has everyone on his side, how exactly is he going to teach Selema? Also, one of you already guessed it right, but who is this 'Lord' and what could possibly be his plan to get revenge? Hopefully the answers will come soon, so stay tuned!**_

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	16. Training: Part 1

_**Hey everyone! Did you miss me? I know you did...**_

**_Well, I know a lot of you are wondering the same quesiton. How will Matt train Selema? Well...let's just say there's one thing to get out of the way first..._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

The next thing Matt knew, he and Selema were standing at the gates of Warfang, ready to set off. Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, and Hunter were there to see them go.

"I don't know when we'll get back," Matt stated. "But we will eventually…"

"Alright," Spyro replied. "While you two are off training, we'll try and help the Guardians figure out this whole mess. Hopefully, we'll find some answers along the way."

"A little extra training probably wouldn't hurt us, either," Cynder added. "We have to be ready if something happens."

"Aww…come on guys," Sparx spoke up. "We can take care of ourselves…"

"We know," Hunter whispered into the dragonfly's ear. "It's these two that we're worried about."

Matt rolled his eyes a little. The cheetah wasn't much in favor of the idea to take Selema under his wing, but Hunter still allowed it to be due to the Guardians' previous approval.

"Alright, then," the Keyblader spoke up. He turned to Selema. "Are you ready to go?"

The pink dragoness gave him a firm nod. "Yeah…I'm ready…"

"Ok…," Matt turned back to the others. "Take care…all of you. We'll see you guys when we return."

"Thank you all very much," Selema added. "For everything…"

"Don't mention it, Selema," Spyro said. "Just do your best out there."

"I will."

"And please…be careful…" Cynder exclaimed.

"You have my word," Matt replied. He gave a firm nod before he and Selema turned to leave.

"Don't get eaten!" Sparx added.

Matt and Selema turned to each other and shook their heads. They each waved goodbye before they finally began their trek into the wilderness.

However, before they could anywhere, Matt insisted on stopping by his ship. He needed to make sure it was secure and also to grab some extra supplies he'd need. Also, Selema had been anxious to see it since she'd first heard about what it could do.

After a short trek, they finally made it to Matt's vessel. "Well…here she be…," he exclaimed.

Selema gasped in admiration at the sight of the ship. She'd never seen anything like it before. "Wow…," she exclaimed. "That's cool…it's not as big as I thought it would be."

"Nah…it only really was meant for a few people to travel in. Want to check it out on the inside?"

Selema's eyes lit up. "Sure…"

Matt led the dragoness slowly into the ship's insides. Selema's eyes looked over every inch of the gears and gadgets that lined the inwards of the craft. She also noticed the cot and the bathroom.

"You really travel by yourself in this thing?" Selema asked.

"Yep," Matt nodded. "It's not much, but it's like my new home away from home now."

The dragoness turned to him with a smile on her face. "I think it's great." She then gazed upon the many buttons and controls that lined the front. "How are you supposed to make this thing fly?"

Matt chuckled. "We can get into that another day."

Selema then looked down. She'd also heard the ship's misfortunes. "I'm sorry that the ship's so broken, Matt."

"Don't worry about it. I guess things happen that you can't control, and this unfortunately was one of them. Besides, I'm sure I won't be stuck here forever." Matt then thought of something. "Maybe when it does get fixed…maybe I could…take you and the others for a ride…just to see what it's like on the outside you know?"

The dragoness looked at him with wide eyes. "Really? Can you do that?"

"No one's told I can't…"

"Then…yeah…that would be really…really cool."

Matt went on to gather all of the food he thought they would need, hopefully lasting them about 3-4 days maximum. He'd asked Selema if she knew how to hunt, but the dragoness couldn't recall how. Matt also grabbed some of the extra clothing and gear.

After they both exited the ship, Matt once again hid it was best he could. He also shut the lock on the ship as tightly as he could to make sure that nothing, not even an ant, could get in.

"Ok," Matt said after he wiped the sweat from his brow. After he flung his backpack on once more, his eyes looked towards the sun. It was straight in the sky, indicating midday. "Well…let's get going, Selema."

"Right."

After a few minutes, Selema then spoke up to ask Matt a question. "So…I didn't ask before Matt, but why are you taking me out instead of training me at the Temple?"

"Well…I'm not sure really. I just figured that if it was just the two of us, we could get things done quicker. Also…I guess…well…" Matt sighed and turned to the dragoness as they walked. "I'm not going to lie, Selema. I've never really taught anyone to fight before. I guess…I think that coming out here will give each of us a fresh start…away from everything else."

"Oh…," Selema replied. "I never thought of it like that before." She gave Matt a small smile. "Well…I hope I'm not too much of a burden."

It was Matt's turn to grin. "You're never a burden, Selema. You never will be either. Don't ever forget that."

"Ok…"

The two walked through the forest for the next few hours. To pass the time, Selema asked Matt about some of his previous adventures. He was more than willing to share it too.

The young Keyblader recalled countless battles alongside his good friends and partners, Stitch and Pikachu. It took him at least an hour to tell Selema about the two of them in particular.

"Wow…those two sound like a lot to handle," Selema commented.

"Oh, they can be…but I couldn't have asked for two better pals. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here talking to you right now. "

Matt also talked about some of the many new friends and allies he'd met along the way, which included Spyro and Cynder. There were many characters of all shapes and sizes, including several non-humans.

"Were there any other dragons you met besides Spyro and Cynder?" Selema asked.

"Uh…," Matt moaned while probing his brain for answer. One incident came to mind, but he decided to let it slide. "I saw one or two but that's all…I guess that's why this is the 'Dragon Realms' after all."

Selema sighed in disappointment, but she nodded anyway.

Eventually, both Matt and Selema arrived at a small clearing in the brush. He looked up to see that it was mid-afternoon at this point.

"Ok," Matt said. "I think this is a good place to stop for the night."

"Really?" Selema asked. "But it's not even dark out yet…"

"True…but there's actually something I want to try first before we call it a day."

Selema stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean?"

Matt turned to her and gave her a big grin. "Selema…you said you wanted to learn to fly….so let's get you airborne."

The dragoness stared at him, her eyes wide. "Really? Right now?"

Matt nodded. "Right now…" He had already planned that having her fly was the first thing on his to-do list. Selema would be very limited on the ground. Besides, he hadn't gone to the trouble of healing her wings just so she wouldn't use them.

"Uh...ok…," Selema said anxiously. "But…how are you going to…teach me that?"

Luckily, Matt had thought this through a little bit…at least he thought he did. "Actually…I don't really think I need to teach you as much as guide you." He walked over to the dragoness and knelt so he could get at eye level.

"Guide me…?" she asked.

"Yeah…" He closed his eyes, trying to remember the scene that his mind was referring to. (A.N. You all better know what scene I'm talking about…) "Selema…you have the ability to fly already inside of you…you just don't know it yet."

Selema laughed nervously. "But…I've never done it before…"

"That doesn't matter," Matt replied. "Do you have inside of you?" Selema looked at him questioningly. "It's your heritage. Your ancestry. Being able to fly is something that has been passed down throughout generation after generation in your family. If they can…you can."

Selema just continued to stare at him, unable to comprehend it all. "But…but…what if I can't?"

Matt sighed. _Here goes nothing…_ "Close your eyes for me, Selema."

"Ok…" The dragoness slowly closed her eyes.

"Now just breathe deeply for a minute…nice and easy."

Selema wondered what Matt was getting at, but she did as she was told. Slowly, she began to relax.

"Now...what I want you to do is block out everything around you. Everything except my voice. Can you do that for me?"

"I think so…" Selema continued to breathe deeply, allowing her mind to slowly be at ease.

"Ok…now I want you to just forget. Forget about everything that's happened…everything you've known. Just let it all go."

Selema continued to listen to Matt's voice. She found it surprisingly simple being in the relaxed state she was already in.

"Selema…let the ancestry inside you take over. Let it do what it already knows. What you already know…" He paused. "…how to fly…"

Matt waited patiently for the next few minutes as he gazed at Selema, hoping for a sign. All he could hear was the sound of her breathing and his own.

Suddenly, it happened. Selema's wings slowly began to move on their own. With each passing second, they moved a little faster.

"That's it…," Matt exclaimed. "You're doing great, Selema."

After about half a minute, her wings were beating fast enough to where they lifted the dragoness a few inches off the ground. She soon was at Matt's chest.

Selema couldn't resist but open her eyes. She gasped. "What's going on?" The dragoness saw the ground below her. "I…I'm doing it! I'm doing it!"

Matt couldn't help but sport a huge grin on his face. "Alright! Go for it!"

Selema soon was at the height of the trees, her eyes scanning the environment around her from this new point of view. "Wow…"

The dragoness soon flew around the forest in a slow pace, her body trying to get used to this new environment. Selema couldn't help but feel as light as a feather. The feel of the wind blowing around her was exciting. Matt had been right…this did feel natural.

After about ten minutes, Selema then heard Matt call her back. However, Selema realized a problem. She had managed to get up, but she didn't know how to get down.

"Uh…Matt…?" She called back down to him. "I…I don't know how to land."

Matt gasped. "Oh crap…," he said under his breath. "Hang on!" He quickly called out his Dragon blade and sprang forward into the air. Within seconds, he was right there in the air next to her. Selema just stared at him, her jaw as far as it could go down.

"Wha…?" She asked.

"I'll tell you later," Matt replied. "Let me give you a hand here."

With Matt there to help her, Selema slowly was able to lower herself back down onto solid land. The dragoness collapsed onto the ground, panting at the experience she just had.

"So…," Matt said after he touched down. "What do you think of flying? Pretty cool, huh?"

Selema looked at him and nodded. "Yeah…I could get used to this." She paused. "Matt…thank you…"

Matt nodded. "No problem." He knew that this was only the first step. The two of them had a long way to go…but there was no doubt in the young human's mind.

They were off to a flying start…

* * *

_**Well, there you have it. I figured Selema couldn't stay flightless forever...**_

**_So now what? Well...you'll just have to find out for yourself...so stay tuned._**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	17. Training: D Up

_**Hey everyone! Thanks again for all your support! **_

**_A lot of you are wondering what Selema's power may be...all I can say you'll know soon enough. What kind of author would I be if I just told you? Geez..._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

Selema gasped and opened her eyes sharply. Panting hard, she managed to see that she was still in one piece.

The young dragoness was lying down on the soft pad of earth she had chose to make her bed for the night. It wasn't the same as the bed as the Temple, but it would do.

Selema then looked over and found that Matt was still snoozing away against a rock from before. He looked peaceful as she watched him rest for a few moments.

The dragoness sighed deeply. She had been dreaming more about flying ever since she'd learned how the previous day. It honestly was one of the best she'd had…ever. Selema then remembered having these strange flashes of other dragons…ones that looked slightly familiar to her. She only wished she could recall their names…and that maybe they could tell her something…anything about the past.

Unfortunately, the night had ended with yet another nightmare of her being tortured by the apes. Only this time, it was much worse…

Selema looked to the sky and found that the sun had barely come out. Soon, it would crawl over the treellines and shine down on her. The dragoness shivered at how cool it was in the early morning, so she curled up and decided to wait it out. While she did, Selema wondered over what Matt would try and teach her today…

* * *

Matt was greeted by rays of sunshine blasting over his face. He groaned and rubbed his eyes. It had been a long night to say the least. Slowly, he forced himself up to his legs and walked over to the firepit he'd set up last night. He brought out his Keyblade and cast the Firaga spell to get a steady blaze going.

Matt then looked over and saw that Selema was stirring awake as well. She opened her eyes and saw him.

"Morning," he said.

"Hey…," Selema replied. She went to her feet and walked over to the fire.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah…it wasn't too bad."

Suddenly, both Matt and Selema felt their stomachs grumble out of hunger at the same moment.

"Hm...that can only mean one thing…," Matt said sarcastically. He quickly grabbed his backpack and brought it over. "Let's see what we've got here…" Selema looked on with intent. He pulled out his bags of jerky and dried fruit, along with his canteen of fresh water.

Selema had never seen food like this before, and found it very strange. She still accepted Matt's offer seeing as how she'd never been taught to hunt game. The taste of the dried food was different to her. She asked Matt where he got all this food from in the first place.

"I resupply every time I return to the Disney Castle," he replied. "Sometimes I also try and make a little money to get my own food."

"Oh…ok…" Selema had never heard of the concept of 'money' before. Spyro and Cynder had given her some coins as a welcoming gift, but she didn't really need them…at least not yet anyway. The two quickly finished their meal before Matt put out the fire.

"Alright…let's get started…"

"So…what are going to do first?" Selema asked eagerly.

"Well…," Matt started. "Actually…there's something we need to talk about first."

"Oh…what is it, Matt?"

"Selema…what do you think would be a good reason to learn to fight?"

The pink dragoness thought it odd that they would start with questions like this, but she decided to go along with it. "Um…well…you need to be able to fight back right?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that's a good one." He then paused a moment. "Selema…before I teach you anything further…there's something I want you to promise me."

"What is it?" The dragoness asked.

"The one thing you need to understand is that power isn't everything. I've seen time and time again those who use their power for the wrong reasons…especially to hurt those who are innocent." Matt paused. "There should only be two reasons that you should ever have to fight, Selema. You either fight to defend yourself…or to protect those you care about. Do you understand that?"

Selema took a few moments to ponder over it before nodding back a yes to him.

"Now…promise me that you will only fight for those reasons…nothing more…" He had stared into her eyes as he had spoken, making sure he got the message across.

Selema nodded again. "I promise…"

Matt smiled. "Ok." He then drew out his Keyblade and walked a few feet away from the dragoness. "Now…the first thing we need to do is have you learn to defend yourself."

"Defense?" Selema asked. She was honestly expecting a little more.

"That's right. One thing I've learned is that the best way to avoid taking damage is to not get hit in the first place."

"Uh…yeah…I guess that makes sense."

Matt then pointed his Keyblade at a nearby tree. He closed his eyes and concentrated a few moments, then cast his spell. "Blizzaga!" A few chunks of ice burst from his blade and flew towards the tree. They landed into the trunk with a loud thud.

"Wow…," Selema gazed. She wondered if Matt would teach her to do that.

"Yep," Matt exclaimed. "Here's the plan. When I shoot my ice shards, you just dodge out of the way."

Selema gulped. Those ice shards looked a little sharp. "Uh…ok…I'll try…"

"Get into a good stance first," Matt said. "That will help you concentrate better."

"Right." The dragoness crouched down on her front legs and spread her wings out. "How's this?"

"Not bad." Matt pointed his blade for her. "Are you ready?" Selema nodded back. The young human then recast his blizzard spell, but only used enough energy to send two shards at the dragoness.

Selema barely had enough time to react as the shards sped towards her. She quickly ducked out of the way as they whizzed past her. The dragoness was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but this time three more shards came for her without warning.

"Whoa!" Selema moved out of the way of the first two, but the third scraped her in one of her front legs, making it sting. The dragoness winced in pain.

"Ready for more?" Matt asked.

Selema sighed. He sure wasn't going to go easy on her. "Yeah, I'm good."

For the next ten minutes, Selema continued to work on dodging Matt's ice shards. She even slowly to get the hang of it by being able to read where they'd go as soon as the shards were fired. Matt caught on and started sending more shards at a time to test the dragoness, but she still managed to avoid getting hit by most of the shards.

_Alright…_Matt thought. _She's a fast learner…that's good._

The Keyblader then decided to stop and rest. "Alright…that's good for now…" Making the ice shards wasn't very energy consuming, but he had to stop eventually or he would pass out.

Selema was a little out of breath. "Wow…," she said. "Dodging stuff is harder than it looks."

"It can be," Matt replied. "But now let's try something new." He took his blade with both hands. "Now I want you to try and dodge me."

Selema's heart skipped a beat. "Y…you mean dodge your…Keyblade?"

Matt reluctantly nodded. Deep down, he didn't want to hurt the pink dragoness, but knew that this would be the only way for her to learn first hand. "Yeah…don't worry…I'll go easy for now…"

Selema shook a little while getting in her stance once more. "O…ok." She already knew this would be a whole lot more different than before.

"Alright…ready or not here I come…" Matt then sprinted towards the dragoness and took a light swing for her side. Selema didn't know exactly what to do, so she instinctively curled her wing, blocking Matt's swing. Surprisingly enough, it hadn't hurt at all.

"Whoa…," she muttered.

Matt cheered in his mind before swinging again, this time for her legs. Luckily, the dragoness had seen it coming and managed to jump out of the way in time.

"Not bad…," Matt said.

"Thanks…," Selema replied.

Matt continued to take light, easy swings for the next several minutes, trying to test Selema's reactions. The dragoness found avoiding his blade difficult for the most part, but she managed to stay unhit for several minutes.

The Keyblader couldn't help but notice how fast Selema was moving. To him, she was a natural at reading her opponents moves as they made them.

Suddenly, Matt decided to start using combo swings to test her even further. Selema now had to adjust on the fly to how fast he was going. Soon, she worked out a pattern. If he aimed for her head, she would duck. If Matt tried a vertical slash, she would roll to the side and so on.

Matt soon began to beam with satisfaction. Selema was progressing faster than he'd ever imagined. _I wonder…_

The young warrior jumped backwards on his feet, then charged at Selema once more.

Selema stood her ground, anticipating another swipe. Suddenly, as he was about to swing, Matt disappeared in front of her very eyes. The dragoness gasped at what happened, clearly stunned at what happened.

Matt had thought he'd finally caught her off guard, appearing right behind the startled dragoness. He prepared another swing once more…

What came next happened so fast that Matt could barely comprehend it. He had swung for Selema's side, but miraculously she managed to roll out of the way. Even more stunning was that Selema then used her tail to counterattack and knock him off his feet. Matt landed on the ground with a thud.

Selema gasped after realizing what she'd done. "Oh no! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…" She thought that he'd be angry with her. However, she saw Matt was l_aughing_ on the ground.

"No…," he exclaimed with a big grin. "Don't be…that was…that was great, Selema! Really, really great! How did you do that?"

"I…I don't know…," the dragoness replied. It was true. "I just felt you behind me and I just…moved…"

Matt slowly got to his feet and brushed the dirt off himself. "Wow…I don't know what to say. I had no idea you could move that fast. A lot faster than I thought you'd be…"

Selema couldn't help but blush. "Thanks…" She couldn't help but he thrilled with herself. After all, she didn't even know she had it in her.

"But…," Matt said. "We're only just getting started." He got back in his stance once again. "What do you say? One more?"

Selema smiled and crouched back into her stance. She gave Matt a nod that made him know she was confident and ready.

"Bring it…"

* * *

_**I guess Selema really is a natural. Who knew? The one thing I realized when making this chapter...keep it simple. **_

**_What else is in store for both our heroes? Well...stick around and find out. _**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	18. The Executed Plan

_**Hey everyone! Another round of story is in store! Enjoy!**_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

For the rest of the day, Matt and Selema continued to train hard. After a few more sparring rounds, Matt then suggested something new. The afternoon was spent doing nothing but jogging through the forest, trying to build up stamina.

Even though Selema was a dragon, even she got tired after a good amount of time. Her body kept begging for her to stop and break, but she wouldn't give in. Matt was still going, and he was using only two legs.

Eventually, the two made it back to their camp. Selema immediately collapsed in exhaustion, while Matt put his hands behind his head to try and get the air going in his lungs quicker.

"Whew…," he said. "Man…I really need to do that more often. I'm going to get out of shape before too long."

Selema did her best to hide a glare towards him. How was he still standing…?

The young human strode over the dragoness. "Well…I think you've had more than enough for one day."

"Thanks…," Selema panted.

"You alright?"

"I will be…I don't think I could move if I tried…"

Matt chuckled a little. "I don't blame you…" He quickly grabbed one of his canteens and hurried it over to her. "Here…drink this…"

Selema's eyes widened. She grabbed the container from Matt's hands and started drinking the faster than she'd ever drank. The cold water felt amazing in her dry mouth. However, Selema was drinking so fast, that she let of the water accidently go down her windpipe.

"Ah…" Selema coughed.

"Whoa…slow down…" Matt said. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're gonna hurt yourself if you drink too fast."

The dragoness breathed deeply, then hung her head in shame. "Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it…that happens to me a lot. Now you go ahead and relax while I get things set up."

* * *

The next few hours passed quickly for Selema. She hadn't been kidding when she said she couldn't move. Her body had never worked that hard before.

_What am I going to do? It's only been one day…and tomorrow I've got to start all over again. Maybe I'm not cut out for this…_

Matt couldn't help but notice the look on the dragoness' face. They were sitting opposite each other as the fire he'd created blazed. "Hey, Selema. You alright?"

"Yeah," Selema lied behind her teeth. "I'm fine…just a little tired."

"I know," Matt replied. He paused a moment to think before he spoke again. "You did really great today, you know that?"

Selema looked back at him, forming a small smile. "Thanks…"

"I mean it, Selema. Even the Guardians would be impressed with what you showed me, and after only one day."

"You really think so?"

"I know so."

They each sat in silence for a few moments before Selema spoke again. "Matt…?"

"Yeah?"

"How long do you think we'll be out here?"

Matt curled his lips. "I don't know…I guess it just depends…"

"On what?"

"On when I think you're ready." Matt grinned. "Selema, all I want to do is take this one day at a time. I don't want you to feel overwhelmed at all."

"I'm not…," she replied. "I'm just new to this…that's all." The dragoness looked at him again. "Besides, I'm learning from one of the best…"

Matt chuckled. "You're too kind…" He looked to the sky. "I learned from the best too…"

The two were silent for a few moment on while the fire continued to cackle between them. The sounds of the night filled the air around them.

"Matt?"

"Hmm?"

Selema decided that she wanted to know a little more about her 'teacher.' "Do you have any family?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah…I do…" He looked off to the side a little bit.

"What are they like?"

The young human looked to the sky. "My dad is a great guy. He taught me a lot about what I know…at least about life anyway. My little sister, Anna, she's a good kid too. She's always out doing something with her friends. She can be a pain, but what little sister can't be?"

Selema nodded. "What about your mother?"

Matt hesitated. He looked at the ground, sighing deeply. "My mother passed away when I was twelve."

Selema gasped. "Oh…" She had no idea. "I'm so sorry, Matt."

"It's alright…," Matt replied. "It was a long time ago. I've moved on for the most part."

"Can…can I ask how she…?"

Matt thought about it for a little bit. "She…she started getting really sick…she was in the hospital for a long time. I thought she was getting better…but she really wasn't. Eventually, we brought her home with us." He hesitated for a moment before going on. Selema continued to give him her complete attention.

"One day…one of the nurses got really scared when she stopped breathing. She sent me and my little sister to my room. We were so scared at the time….until then my dad walked into the room and he told us…" Matt then stopped, not wishing to go on further.

"That's so sad…," Selema said. "That must have been really hard."

"It was…but like I said…my family and I moved on."

"Do you miss her?"

Matt stared in the dragoness in the eye. "Yeah…and I think about her every day."

Selema nodded, then looked down. "I wonder if I'll ever see my mother again…or any of my family…"

Matt bit his lip. "I'm sure you will…," he said blankly. "If they're anywhere as strong as you are, I'm sure they're still out there."

"Yeah…" Selema blushed. "I hope so…"

The two then decided to call it a night. Selema curled up into her usual spot while Matt got into his against the firm rock. They each told each other good night before both human and dragoness fell asleep instantly.

* * *

Artemis wiped the sweat from his brow. "It is ready my Lord…" He looked up to see the crystal still beaming with the trapped energy. He'd spent the last few days preparing the scene around it so that it would be more than pleasing to his Lord.

"Good…" The Lord walked into the chamber, beaming at the crystal. He had slowly become well-adjusted to his new body. It was smaller and less muscular than his previous one, but his previous strength had returned when he'd been resurrected as well. He now bore full armor around his body, as well as a new headdress. "Where is it…?"

"Right here, sir." Artemis rushed over and picked up a wrapped object. Beneath it was an object that his men had managed to retrieve while they had been guarding their prisoner.

"Give it here…," the Lord swiped it from his inferior's hands and unwrapped it carefully. It was a long, wooden staff with a large crystal attached to the end. As soon as he'd touched it, the crystal immediately glowed with energy. "Just as I remember…" the Lord sneered. "I cannot accomplish my work without this weapon…"

Artemis gulped. "My Lord…I know you hate it when I ask you this…but is it really wise to try a spell like this? Even if it is successful, you don't know exactly what will happen."

"You're right about one thing. I don't like being questioned…" The Lord then aimed his staff and shot a beam of energy towards Artemis, making him levitate in mid-air. "The only reason you're still breathing is that I still need your assistance for this to work."

"Yes, my Lord," Artemis whimpered. "It's just…you always said that this was too dangerous to try…even it was for the Dark Lord."

"As risky as it may be…it is the only choice we have left to us. There is no other way..."

Artemis gulped. "Very well…as you wish…" The inferior ape was then lowered to the ground, his body still shaking in fear.

"Once I have accomplished my task," the Lord continued. "This world will be ours…and the Dark Master will rise once again to finish what he started!"

Artemis walked over to the ancient text that the Lord had required. Everything was now in place. "Are you ready to begin, my Lord?" His hands barely kept the book in place because they were shaking so hard.

"Yes…it is time…do it…"

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the city of Warfang, two young dragons were at work bashing and smashing several wooden dummies as though they were twigs.

Spyro opened up his mouth and blasted away two more with his fire attack. "Whew…this is starting to get old."

"No kidding," Cynder added. She had just used her poison breath to melt three more dummies. "If we keep this up, there won't be any of them left…"

"Oh, I doubt that," Spyro replied with a chuckle. "Terrador will make sure that won't happen. What do you say we take a break?"

"Good idea," Cynder gave him a small peck on the cheek.

The two walked along the halls of the Temple before finding their way to the balcony. They both lifted themselves on the railing to enjoy the view.

"How do you think they're doing?" Cynder asked.

"I'm sure they're all right…," Spyro said. "We could go check the Pool of Visions to find out."

"True…"

"But then again…I'm pretty wiped from all that training. In fact, I feel like lying down on our bed…care to join me?"

Cynder grinned. "I like the way you think, Spyro." She took her paws off the railing and turned her back to him. "Race you there!"

Spyro laughed. "You're on!" He was just about to follow her, but for some reason he stopped in his tracks.

"Spyro…?" Cynder looked back. He didn't move. "What is it…?"

The purple dragon then suddenly yelled out in agony and collapsed on the ground. He writhed and twitched uncontrollably.

"Spyro!" Cynder yelled. She quickly rushed to his side. "What's wrong? What's happening?"

It was the strangest feeling Spyro had ever experienced. It was as if a blanket of dull, throbbing pain had covered his entire body. At the same time, his energy had completely disappeared.

"Cynder…," Spyro spoke out. His chest was heaving up and down faster than ever. "I…I…" The world was spinning around him. He then felt another familiar feeling. "Cynder…something's…not right…you have to…

"I'm not going anywhere!" The black dragoness then looked at him in horror. "By the ancestors…," she breathed. "Spyro…your paw…"

"Huh?" Spyro looked towards his right front paw and gasped at the sight. It wasn't even there anymore!

_What's happening?_

* * *

Matt and Selema had spent the morning continuing to spare against each other. This time, Matt would mix up his Keyblade swings with a magic attack here and there. He caught her off guard a couple of time, but she had recovered in time.

However, one of Matt's fire attacks had caught her in the side hard enough to send her flying into a tree. She cried out in pain as she slumped to the ground.

"Selema!" Matt yelled. He quickly rushed to her side. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to get you that hard…" He looked her over and saw a small red burn mark on her pink scales.

"I'm…fine…," Selema groaned.

"Let's take a short break…" Matt suggested. He then pointed the tip of his blade on Selema's burn and casted the Curaga spell, healing her instantly.

"Thanks…," she said. "That's much better…"

Matt proceeded to lie against the trunk of the tree while Selema layed down next to him. He definitely was having to work a little harder to try and hit her, but to also avoid getting hit back. The pink dragoness was slowly getting a little better.

Selema then spoke up again. "Um…Matt…I was wondering about something…"

"What's up?"

"Maybe later…if we have time...could you teach me something?"

"Uh…sure. What'll it be?"

Selema took a deep breath. "You know that attack you used against Spyro? The one at the end?"

Matt narrowed his eyes. "You mean my Kingdom Blast?"

"Yeah, if that's what you call it. Can…can I learn how to do that?"

"Umm…" Matt couldn't help but stare off into the space. Teach Selema the Kingdom Blast? Or at least a slighter version of it? "Well…I don't know Selema…"

"Why not?"

"The thing is…I'm not sure if you can learn it." He then went on to explain what the attack was all about. It was dangerous to use alone unless you'd mastered it like he had. "Besides…we still don't know about your element yet."

"Yeah, I know…but if you show me how to do it, then I won't need an element."

Matt sighed. "I'll tell you what...give me a little while to think about it. I'm not making any promises though."

Selema put her head down in defeat. "Alright…" She looked to the sky and saw it was around midday. Maybe the afternoon would bring something new…

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Selema screamed out in pain. She collapsed on her side while clutching her head.

"Selema?" Matt looked over and rushed to her side. "What's wrong? What is it?" He thought he'd healed all her injuries.

"My head…," she moaned. "Everything…hurts…" She continued to roll back and forth on the ground, her cries of agony increasing.

"Oh man…," Matt said. He tried to stay focused, but he had no idea what could be the matter. The young human started to breathe faster, taking the dragoness in his arms. "Selema…it's going to be ok...I promise." He summoned out his Keyblade again and prepared to use Curaga on her again in hope that it would help.

However, before he got the chance, Selema's eyes began to glow. Soon, the rest of her body followed.

"What the hell…?" Matt muttered. He could barely keep a hold of the dragoness as she was shaking uncontrollably. "Selema…?"

"Matt!" Selema gapsed. She then let out a huge scream as her body was now shining so brightly that he had to close his eyes. He still wouldn't let go of her despite his body's plead to do so.

"Selema!" Matt screamed before he too yelled out in surprise. "Oh man!" Suddenly, the light erupted around the two of them along with a rushing sound.

Then, as soon as it had started, it was over. However, Matt's vision had gone black. He knew no more…

* * *

_**Whoa! A little more than you were expecting right? This story is just getting started...**_

**_What the heck is going? What's wrong with Spyro? What's wrong with Selema? Well, you're just going to have to tune it to find out..._**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	19. All Hell Breaks Loose

**_Hey everyone! For those who waited patiently for this chapter, let's just say you're in for a treat. Strap in it, this story is about to get wild! *explosion in the distance* Damn it!_**

**_Btw, two things. First, I just wanted to thank Solrac for his quote I used to name the chapter. It fits pretty good in my book. :) Second, the Lord is in fact Gaul. No point in hiding it. _**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro games or characters. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. _**

* * *

The next thing Matt knew, he was lying on his back. Slowly, his vision started to clear. He groaned while sitting back up. His head felt weird as though it was spinning.

"Man…," Matt groaned. "Why does this keep happening to me?" He shook his head and tried to remember what had occurred before.

Suddenly, an image of Selema crying out in pain and glowing in a sea of light flashed in his mind. He remembered she had been in his arms before he'd passed out…but she wasn't now.

Matt gasped and looked around for the dragoness. It didn't take him very long as she was lying just a few feet away from him.

However, she wasn't moving.

"Selema!" Matt gasped. He hurried over to her side. _Please don't let her be dead…_

The young human looked her over and then breathed a huge sigh of relief when he saw her chest still moving up and down. In fact, it was though she was sleeping peacefully.

Matt then looked around him and Selema…and the sight was something he wasn't expected.

It was if the forest around them had gone through a face lift. The grass was now a darkened brown instead of a luscious green. The trees, once full of leaves, were now bare and looked as though they'd been dead for some time. Matt also looked up at the sky and saw nothing but gray.

"What the hell?" Matt asked. A weird sensation soon came over him. The young human couldn't explain it, but he knew one thing for sure. It wasn't a good feeling. Not good at all.

Suddenly, the dragoness beneath him started to stir. Matt looked down to see her eyes start to flutter open.

"Selema?" Matt asked. "Can you hear me?"

"Matt…?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's alright. I'm right here." Matt held her close to reassure her. "Are you ok? You scared me half to death."

Selema gave him a nod. "What…happened?"

"I don't know," Matt replied. "You just started…glowing…"

"Glowing?"

"Yeah…do you remember anything?"

Selema shook her head. "Not much…just a lot of pain. I felt like I was going to explode."

"Selema…has…has that ever happened to you before?"

"No…never."

Matt narrowed his brow. Several questions were emanating in his mind at the moment. What _did _happen? Did it have anything to do with the power Ignitus had spoken about?

Selema then noticed the forest around them in it's current state. "Wha…what happened to the trees…and the sky? It wasn't like that before."

"I don't know…but I've got a bad feeling about this." Matt then decided they should try and rest for a minute and went to grab his bag.

Unfortunately, after searching for it, Matt's backpack had gone missing. The young human cursed under his breath.

"What's wrong?" Selema asked.

"My backpack…it's gone," Matt replied. "It had all our food and supplies in there! Something must have taken it…"

Selema looked down and sighed. "Well…what do we do now?"

"Let's try and find some water first," Matt suggested. They wouldn't last very long without it. "I remember there was a small stream on the way here."

The two walked along for a few minutes as they looked on at the scene around them. The desolate scene hadn't just been the clearing before, but the entire forest. Even more disturbing was they didn't hear a single sound of life. No birds chirping...no bugs buzzing…nothing.

Matt could only describe the scene around him with one word…

…dead.

Selema couldn't believe what she was seeing either. How could everything change so sudden and so quickly? She wondered if she had anything to do with it…

Eventually, Matt and Selema found their way to the small stream. They had both expected it to be flowing with clean water. They were wrong.

Selema cringed at what they found. Instead of being clear, the water looked somewhat silver and murky. It also looked thick as it oozed it's way along the riverbed.

"What in the world?" Selema asked. "The water…it's…"

Matt looked around and found a long branch next to one of the dead trees. He grabbed it and knelt down next to the stream. He stuck the branch into it and waited a few seconds before pulling it out. Selema gasped when she found that most of it had burned away.

"Darn it…," Matt said. "The water's been turned into acid. We can't use it."

"What is going on?" Selema cried. "Why is this happening?"

"I wish I knew…" Matt put his hands on his head and sighed. He paced back and forth for a few minutes, tying to think. However, only one solution came to him.

"We need to get back to Warfang…now."

"Really?" Selema asked.

"Yeah…now I know for sure something is wrong. We have to go back and tell Spyro and the others what's going on." Deep down, a feeling of anxiety was spreading throughout the young human. Was this the danger Ignitus had warned him about? If so, it was worse than he had feared.

"Alright…," Selema agreed with him. "I think you're right."

"Do you think you're up to flying?" Matt asked. She must've still been tired from her ordeal before.

The pink dragoness nodded. "I think I can make it." She wasn't going to back down now.

"Alright, then," Matt replied. "Let's go." He put out his hand and summoned out the Keyblade.

However, it wasn't the one he was looking for. While he had brought out his regular Key, the Dragon's Fury blade didn't appear. Matt closed his eyes and concentrated hard on bringing it forward, but no matter how hard he tried it wouldn't appear. The young human growled in frustration.

Selema looked at him with worry in her eyes. "Matt…what's wrong?"

"My dragon blade…it's not coming…," he replied. Matt opened his eyes and stared at his Keyblade. "Without it…I can't fly."

Selema realized what this meant. "Matt…do you need me to carry you?"

"No, no, no," Matt replied. "It's ok. We can walk…"

"But you said we needed to get back to Warfang now…"

"I know…but…" Matt sighed. He didn't want Selema to overexert herself, but she made a good point. They needed to get back to the dragon city, and he knew it. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Selema gave him a firm nod. "I can do it." Matt sighed and nodded back before Selema rose a few feet off the ground. She then lowered her front paws for him to grab on to.

"Hold on tight," Selema said. Grunting, she slowly ascended into the air. Matt wasn't the heaviest thing in the world to the dragoness, but he wasn't the lightest thing either. The young human had wondered about her strength before anyway, but he had faith in her as he would Spyro or Cynder carrying him.

When they were above the treelines, Matt looked up and saw the strain on Selema's face. He also saw a determination that he'd seen several times during their shortened time in the wilderness together. There was no doubt that deep down, Selema had a strong spirit.

Selema flew slowly and steadily towards the city even though they were in a slight hurry. She was too afraid she'd drop him to go any faster. She'd never carried anyone while flying till now either…

As the two flew along the landscape, they couldn't help but see just how bad the world really looked from above. The stream they saw earlier connected to a large river, which also shined silver with acid. Matt tired as hard as he could, but he could see no signs of life in the forests below either. The closer they got to the city, the bigger the lump in his throat was getting.

However, Matt's thoughts were broken by large shriek from behind. He would have covered his ears if he wasn't holding on to Selema, who also had been startled by the noise.

"Matt…what was that?" The dragoness asked.

Matt looked behind them and his eyes widened at what he saw. Coming straight for them were four of the strangest creatures he had ever seen. They had long orange bodies, short wings, and nasty yellow eyes. Matt recognized them as creatures from the games he'd played so long ago…and they weren't pushovers.

"Selema…fly faster…"

"What is it?" Selema asked anxiously.

"Don't look back. Just keep going!" Selema whimpered and obeyed the command, quickening their pace. Matt then asked to her very surprise to let one of his hands go.

"What?" she asked. "Are you crazy?"

Matt didn't have the time to argue, so he yanked his left hand from the dragoness's grasp and quickly summoned his Keyblade. "I may be if I'm trying this…" He concentrated a few moments before taking aim at the creature closest to them.

"FIRAGA!" Matt cried, sending a burst of flame out of his blade. Caught off guard, the creature was hit dead on by the attack. It roared in pain before spiraling out of control towards the ground below.

"Did you get it?" Selema asked.

"One of them…," he replied. "Don't stop! Keep moving!"

Matt tried again to blast down the rest of the creatures, but they managed to catch on to his attack. Soon, they were easily able to dodge his magic attacks with ease. To make matters worse, they were gaining on Selema…

"Darn it!" Matt cried.

"What do we do now?" Selema gasped. She was getting tired from exherting so much energy. "I can't keep this up much longer, Matt."

Matt grunted. He thought quick and hard on what they could possibly do. Suddenly, it came to him.

"Selema! Go up!"

"What? What's that going to do?"

"Just trust me!" Matt yelled. He then explained the rest of his idea to her, which made Selema look at him in terror.

"No way!" she asked. "I won't do it!"

"We don't have a choice," Matt replied. "Selema…I trust you. Do you trust me?"

Selema hesitated a moment before she nodded. "Yes…," she said weakly. The dragoness then climbed as high as she could go. Curiously, the creatures followed them in close pursuit. They were so close to catching their lunch, that they didn't really think of what the human was about to do next.

"Steady…," Matt said. He let the winged foes get a little closer. "Steady…NOW!"

Grunting, Selema then did something she thought she would forever regret. Using all of her strength, she spun Matt around as hard as she could and flung him downwards towards the creatures.

The winged creatures stood stunned at him as he came at them faster than a speeding bullet. Before they knew what hit them, it was too late…

"Take this!" Matt raised his blade high and swung as hard as he could vertically into the tightly grouped enemies. He managed to strike them all with the one swing, sending the blood of three enemies into the air around him. The young human turned back to see all three of them falling back to the land below dead.

However, before Matt could take a breath of relief, he realized his situation. "Uh oh…" He was dead weight in the sky…and he was falling straight to the ground and certain death.

"OOOOOHHHH MAAAANNN!" Matt closed his eyes out of fear and braced himself for the landing…

…but it never came. Suddenly, he felt himself grab him in the shoulders and keep him in mid-air. Daring to open his eyes, Matt saw nothing but the ground below him. He looked up and beamed at his savior.

"Gotcha!" Selema yelled.

"Selema!" Matt yelled.

"Don't ever do that again, Matt! I might not make it next time."

"Don't worry…I probably won't."

It had taken a good chunk of Selema's energy to catch him, so they decided to touch back down and walk the rest of the way, seeing as they only had a short way to go.

Matt and Selema panted when they made it back down.

"Are you ok?" Matt asked.

"Yeah…I think so…" Selema replied. "Flying is a lot more complicated than I thought."

Matt chuckled. "Well…like I said…you're a pretty fast learner…and it's a good thing you are or I'd be toast."

"What were those things?"

"I don't know…but whatever they were…they weren't friendly. Let's just be glad they're gone for now."

"Yeah…" Matt then led the way on as he and Selema trekked across the land towards the hill overlooking Warfang.

"Hey, Selema," Matt suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah?"

Matt looked her in the eye and smiled. "Thanks again…for saving me back there."

The dragoness smiled. "You're very welcome. I guess I finally repaid my debt to you."

"You didn't have a debt to begin with…you know that."

"Maybe…but I had to in order to save a friend…especially a really good friend."

Matt couldn't help but grin. "Yeah…likewise…"

Before long, the two arrived at the hill. When they reached the top however, they both couldn't help but stare at what they saw in the distance.

"Oh my…," Selema said.

"No…," Matt exclaimed, falling to this knees.

Below them, the city looked like it had been hit by a bomb. There were hardly any buildings that were left standing. Smoke stacks twirled into the sky from several directions.

Matt remembered when he, Stitch, and Pikachu first came to Warfang. At the time, it had been torn apart by numerous battles…but at least it was something to defend at all. Now…there was…nothing…

"No…," Matt repeated. He quickly got back to his feet. "C'mon…we've got to get down there."

Matt and Selema hurried as fast as their legs could take them to the gates. However, the big wooden structures had already been torn down. The two statues that normally stood in front had been completely demolished, with one of the heads being the only thing left.

The duo entered then proceeded cautiously into the city. They treaded slowly and took their time to look over the damage.

"How…could this have happened?" Selema asked. "Who could've done this?"

For once, Matt was at a loss for words. The one thing he noticed most of all was how quiet it was. Just like in the forests, there were no signs of life whatsoever. Not even a corpse…

There was only one thing on his mind at that point. "We've got to try and find the Temple," Matt suggested. "We've got to find Spyro and the others…"

_If we can find them…_

They walked on for several minutes through the various debris and rubble, still having no luck finding any clues to what might have happened.

As much has he didn't want to consider it, Matt also was thinking about whether or not this had anything to do with Selema's outburst just a short time ago. Maybe this was what Ignitus spoke of when he warned about a looming danger…and that she would need to be ready for it.

_I don't even think I'm ready for it…_ Matt thought.

However, a strange feeling stopped the Keyblader in his thoughts. He looked around and instantly had a thought. They weren't alone…

Suddenly, a noise could be heard in the distance, causing both Matt and Selema to jump.

"What was that?" Selema asked.

"I don't know…," Matt replied. "Let's keep moving." The two walked on.

"Matt…I'm scared…"

"Me too…I don't think we're alone."

Selema gulped. "Oh…"

"Selema…listen to me very carefully." The dragoness gave him her full attention. "You said you trusted me before right?"

"Yes..."

"Good…just do what I say and we'll get through this…do you understand?"

Selema hesitated before nodding again. The two continued to walk ahead, their senses on full alert for any sign of movement.

Suddenly, Matt's eyes widened. He summoned his Keyblade. "Get down now!"

Selema gapsed and hit the ground with her paws over her head. No sooner had he said the words that ten arrows were shot from every different direction, heading straight for them.

Matt concentrated and tried to slow the scene down with his mind. When he was focused enough, he used his blade and spun around a full 360 degrees. When he was finished, every arrow had been deflected away from their target.

"RUN!" Matt yelled.

Selema obeyed and immediately got to her feet. She then started in a straight sprint in the direction of the Temple, with Matt following close behind her…

A yell came from above, causing Matt to look up quickly. He was shocked to see that none other than an ape was flying down towards him with it's sword bared. Matt grunted and barely ducked out of the way before slicing the ape down as it landed.

"Apes?" Matt asked under his breath. "How many of these things are there?" He hurried to keep up with Selema.

The dragoness had been running as fast as she could, but was stopped in her tracks by two more apes that jumped out in front of her from behind a broken wall.

"Where do you think you're going dragon?" one of them growled.

Selema gasped and froze with fear. Luckily, Matt's voice broke her out of her trance.

"Selema! Duck!"

The dragoness quickly got back down on the ground at the exact moment Matt threw his Keyblade forward while twisting like a top before cutting down the two apes with one slash. They fell to the ground dead as it returned to his hand like a boomerang.

"C'mon! We've got to move!" Matt asked while helping Selema back to her feet.

"How many of them are there?" Selema asked.

The two continued along before they reached what looked like it had been an open courtyard. Before they got to the other side, another patrol of ten apes stood before them. Matt yelled for them to go back, but Selema already said they were too many behind them.

"There's too many," Selema cried. She shook with fear. "What do we do now, Matt?"

Matt grunted. They both backed into a broken wall as the apes converged on them. One thing was for sure. There were too many of them for him to fight off and protect Selema at the same time.

"Get behind me…," Matt mumbled. He turned to Selema, who noticed a small hint of fear in his eyes as well. "This is going to get ugly."

One ape came forward, wearing a headdress just like the one back at the camp, indicating he was some sort of general. "Well...then. What do we have here? A human…and a dragon in the city? How interesting…" He turned to the rest of his men. "It's been too long my brothers…let's enjoy this while we can…" The apes let out a victory roar and raised their swords high in the air.

"Matt…," Selema mumbled. "I'm scared…"

"Me too…," Matt replied. "Don't worry, Selema. It'll be all right." He took his stance and stared down the vast number of foes behind him…praying for a miracle.

Ironically, Matt's prayers were answered by a loud shriek in the sky above them. "Stop! Do not attack!" came a voice…a slightly familiar voice.

Every ape that had been about to charge stopped in his tracks and looked above, as well as Matt and Selema. While the enemies didn't seemed surprised, both the human and dragoness stared in awe at the creature before them.

When it finally touched the ground, the duo saw before them an adult black dragoness with a reddish underbelly and eight horns glazed across her head. Several symbols dotted her head and shoulders. She also bore a very sharp looking tail-blade.

Selema shook her head as the dragoness walked forward. "No way…," she exclaimed. "Is that…?"

Matt's jaw dropped as far as it possibly could. He had seen this dragon before…and in more ways than one. His heart started to beat faster with anticipation. A bead of sweat came down his forehead. There was no doubt.

"It is…," Matt said shakily. "It's Cynder…"

* * *

**_*dun dun dun* _**

**_Oh man! Cynder's ok, but is she friend or foe? What has happened to Spyro and the others? Most importantly...what the HELL is going on? You've gotta stayed tuned till next chapter!_**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	20. Friend or Foe?

**_Hey everyone! I'm really happy that everyone is having a lot of fun with this story. I'm also proud that this my first story ever to reach 100 reviews! You guys rock! :) _**

**_Well, I guess I can't the fact that Matt and Selema are in a real dicey situation. I won't give it all away, but this does have to do with time a little bit. Hopefully more will be revealed as we go. Enjoy!_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro games or characters. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. _**

* * *

Matt and Selema could only stare in disbelief as Cynder crept closer. The larger dragoness looked at them with slight interest.

Suddenly, the ape with the headdress spoke up. "Lord Cynder, why have you stopped us? These two are right where we want them."

Cynder scowled and got in the apes face. "Are you questioning my authority, General?" she asked with a cold tone.

The general shook his head. "Of course not…but with all due respects…we have orders to kill any dragon we come across…especially in this place."

"Very well," Cynder replied. "If you must know, this is the Dark Master's will. He wishes that these two beings be captured alive and unharmed."

Matt gasped. _The Dark Master? Does she mean Malefor?_

"Who is she talking about?" Selema asked him quietly enough so Cynder wouldn't hear.

"I'll explain later," Matt replied. He then decided to get her attention. "Cynder! What are you doing? Why have you…?"

"Silence!" Cynder's voice boomed loud over the entire city. "Do not speak unless you are spoken to, boy!" Matt reluctantly decided to do what she said.

Cynder then turned to the ape patrol. "I'll admit, you have done admirably. The Master will be pleased at your success. Now, you assist me in escorting these prisoners to the dungeons."

"Yes, Lord Cynder," the General replied. "You heard her you maggots, move it!"

"Matt…," Selema whimpered.

"We have to do what they say," the young human replied. "We don't have a choice." Two apes came up to him and placed shackles upon his wrists, causing him to grunt in pain. They then forced his hands behind his back.

"Good…," Cynder stated. "Now…follow me…" She rose into the skies and beckoned the party forward.

For the next half hour, Matt and Selema were led throughout the ruins of the city by the ape patrol. The Keyblader was at a loss for words at what was happening at the moment. A million questions filled his head.

_I don't understand…Why are there so many apes around? I thought they weren't a threat…_

_Why is Cynder doing this? Why has she given in to evil again? How is Malefor still alive?_

Matt concern for Selema's safety was also making him even more stressed. She had done reasonably well in their short time together training, but how could he protect her from this many enemies? Only time would tell…

Eventually, they made their way towards a hole in the middle of a formerly brick wall. Cynder came down from her position in the sky once more.

"This way," Cynder commanded. "No straggling!" She led them down a dark underground tunnel that seemed to stretch on for miles. It was very dimly lit due to the limited amount of torches that lined the walls.

As they went even deeper, Matt began to notice a number of prison cells as they passed further along the walls. The smell they emitted was awful, causing him to feel nauseous. There were also a few skeletons here and there that made Selema cringe in disgust.

Cynder then came to a stop in front of one of the larger cells. She forced two apes to open it before they pushed both Matt and Selema inside. The apes then removed Matt's shackles before slamming the cell with a shut.

"There…," Cynder said. She turned to her minions. "Now…leave us."

"But, my Lord…" the general spoke up again.

"Now!" Cynder's eyes flashed with shadow a moment, causing each ape to flinch in fear. "This is a private matter."

"Very well. We will leave you as you wish." With that, the General ordered his troops to leave, which they did in a hurry.

"Now then," Cynder began. "What were you two doing here in this place?"

Matt decided now was the best time to get some answers for himself. "Cynder! What the hell is going on here? Why are you doing this?"

Cynder gave him weird look. "I am asking the questions here, boy! Now, speak!"

"Don't you even recognize us?" Selema asked. "It's us! Matt and Selema! Your friends!"

"Your friend?" Cynder asked. "You don't know who I am, do you?"

"Of course we do," Matt replied. "You aren't supposed to be the Terror of the Skies. You can't be helping Malefor! He's insane!"

Cynder snorted. "How dare you insult the ruler of this world? If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut!"

"Cynder…what's gotten into you?" Matt asked. He then tried something else. "Where's Spyro? What happened to him?"

This apparently wasn't a good question to ask. The next thing Matt knew, Cynder somehow flashed into the cell and grabbed him by the throat. She lifted him off the ground and slammed him into the wall next to him.

"Matt, no!" Selema yelled out in horror. "Let go of him!"

"Silence!" Cynder yelled back. She then put her face close to Matt's. "Let's make this very clear. We are not friends. In fact, as far as I'm concerned you're nothing to me. The only reason you and this dragon are still alive is because my Master demands it." She then tightened her grip around his neck. "If you ever mention that name again in my presence, it will be the last thing you ever do." Cynder then threw Matt across the ground.

"Matt!" Selema rushed over to his side. "Are you alright?" He didn't reply as he was groaning from the pain in his body. "Cynder! How could you do that to him?"

"Perhaps you didn't hear me quite clearly," Cynder replied. "I have never seen that pathetic being in my entire life." She paused. "On the other hand…you yourself is a whole other story."

Selema gasped. "Wha…what?" Matt raised his head a little in interest.

"Tell me something dragoness," Cynder continued. "How is it that you're still alive?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't lie to me! I saw half of dozen of my warriors kill you with my own eyes. You shouldn't even be breathing right now."

Selema was on the very verge of tears. "No way…that's not possible."

"Leave her alone," Matt then blurted out.

Before she said anything further, Cynder disappeared and rematerialized on the outside of the cell once more. "Now then…you will both remain here for the time being until my Master decides what to do with you. Try and escape…and you'll suffer a fate worse than death." The dragoness then disappeared into the shadows.

"Hey! Come back here! Cynder!" Matt yelled, but it was too late. She was gone.

Selema now started to sob, her tears falling to the ground. "This…can't be happening…"

"Selema…," Matt came to her side. "It's going to be alright…"

"How can you say that?" She yelled back. "How can you say it's alright when it's perfectly clear that everything has gone horribly wrong? Everyone's gone! The city has been destroyed! Cynder's not our friend anymore…it's all over!" She flung herself down on the ground and cried into her paws.

Matt could only stand there for a moment, knowing full well that Selema was right. Their situation couldn't be any worse right now.

The young human slowly got down on his knees, trying to get his friend's attention. "Hey…," he said. Selema wouldn't budge.

"Selema!" he yelled loudly. "Look at me!"The dragoness gasped and looked at him in shock. Her eyelids were sunken from her tears. Matt then put a hand to her cheek. "Look…right now…we can't just sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. If we give up now, then it really is all over before it's even began. You and I have to stick together if we're gonna make it. You understand me?"

Selema sniffed hard. She hesitated a little before she nodded back to him. "Ok…it's just…I'm just don't understand how all of this could have happened."

"I don't either," Matt replied. "But we need to figure out what happened to Spyro and the others..."

Suddenly a voice out of nowhere spoke up. "Did you say…Spyro?"

Matt and Selema both gasped and jumped up in surprise. "Who…who's there?" he asked. It had come from the back of the cell, which was too dark to see.

"Do not fear," the voice replied. "I mean you no harm." Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. It stood on two legs and was covered in raggedly clothing from head to toe.

Matt and Selema couldn't believe who it was when they finally saw his face. "Hunter!" they both cried before rushing to his side.

"You know my name?" the cheetah warrior asked curiously.

"Of course we do," Matt replied. "You're our friend."

"Forgive me for being so shocked," Hunter said. "But I have never seen either of you before in my entire life. Do you have me confused with someone else?"

"No," Selema replied. "You're the only cheetah I know of."

"Yeah," Matt added.

Hunter gave them both a small smile. "Well…the pleasure is all mine. Forgive me if I ask your names."

Matt and Selema introduced themselves to their friend once more. "We met a couple years ago," Matt added.

"You said you both knew Spyro?" Hunter asked.

"You bet. Spyro's our friend too," Selema replied

"Hmm…interesting…may I ask you both what he was like?"

"Huh?" Matt asked. This was a strange question coming from the cheetah. "You never met him before?"

"No," Hunter shook his head. "I never did. You see, four years ago I was sent by the elder dragon, Ignitus, to try and find him after he didn't return to the Dragon Temple."

"Four years ago?" Matt asked.

"Yes. Unfortunately, I never found him or his dragonfly companion. Instead, I was captured by the apes and brought here to the once might dragon city."

"That's awful," Selema commented. "How long have you been stuck here?"

"To be quite honest, I don't even remember. It's been a while since I've seen the outside world…although I doubt it's any better than this."

"Wait a minute," Matt said. "How could this be possible? You were supposed to find Spyro, Sparx, _and _Cynder."

"Oh, I found Cynder alright," Hunter replied with a growl. "She's been terrorizing the skies for Malefor for as long as I can remember. Ignitus had told me she was good…but I can't find that to be true."

"She is," Matt spoke up. "At least…she was…" He cursed in frustration. "None of this makes any sense! Spyro and Cynder were supposed defeat Malefor once and for all! This isn't how it's supposed to be!"

"I wish the prophecy had come true," Hunter said. "But it looks like that just wasn't meant be either."

"The prophecy _does_ come true!" Matt yelled again. "But right now…it…it hasn't…" He fell to his knees.

"Matt…," Selema said. "It's ok. You know I believe you, right?"

"I know…but still…"

Hunter scratched his chin for a moment. "It's interesting though…I haven't seen another dragon besides Cynder for some time either. Not since the Guardians were captured."

"What happened to them?" Matt asked.

Hunter sighed. "Igntius and the other Guardians fought their hardest to defend the world against Malefor and his armies. However, it was too much to overcome. One by one, Cynder captured each of them. I do not know what had befallen them."

Matt grunted. "Oh man…"

"I also have never seen one of your kind before either, Matt," Hunter added. "What exactly are you?"

"I'm a human. As a matter of fact, I'm no ordinary human either." He extended his hand and summoned out his mighty blade. "This is the Keyblade. I use to fight evil."

"Amazing…" Hunter gazed. "You must be a strong warrior if Cynder brought you here unharmed. No doubt her intentions for you and Selema aren't very promising."

"What do you mean by that?" Selema asked.

"Well…I know for certain that dragons are near extinction…and I doubt Cynder will want either of you alive for too long."

Selema and Matt exchanged looks of worry. "Then I guess we should try and get out of here then," Matt proclaimed.

"As good as that sounds," Hunter said. "I'd advise against that. There are too many apes out there to try and escape this place alive."

"That may be," Matt said. "But we've got to do something…and we can't do it here."

"Do you know a way out that we could use, Hunter?" Selema asked.

"Maybe…but how do you propose we even get out of this cell?"

Matt grinned and lifted up his blade. "Leave that to me…"

* * *

It didn't take long for Cynder to transport herself to her Master's lair. Soon, she was in presence once more.

"Master…," she said. "I have returned."

Answering her was a large purple dragon with piecing yellow eyes. "Yes. Do you bring good news?" He asked with a cold voice.

"It was just as you foretold," Cynder replied. "A human and a pink dragoness appeared in the former dragon city. I had them captured and moved to the underground dungeons just like you asked."

"Good…," Malefor replied.

"Master…the human…he mentioned the name. The other purple dragon…"

Malefor narrowed his eyes with interest. "Hm…interesting."

"Also," Cynder continued. "The dragoness…she was supposedly killed. Somehow…she…she lives."

"Yes…my dear. I understand your concerns. I find it interesting how they just suddenly appeared out of nowhere into this world."

"What do you mean, Master?"

"I mean that the human and the dragoness are not from this world. They are nothing more than atrocities!"

Malefor was slient for few minutes. He then turned to Cynder again. "The human…he is more powerful than I first imagined. He possesses a weapon…one powerful enough to be considered a threat to what we have built. It would be foolish to underestimate his skills."

"What will you have me do, my Lord?" Cynder asked eagerly.

"First…I want you to interrogate both of them," Malefor commanded. "We need to know more about them and why they are here. It is possible that they know too much for their own good. Use your special talents to force out any secrets they may have." He paused. "When you are finished, I want you to bring the pink dragoness to me. I can sense a strange essence within her. Perhaps I can find some use for her as well…"

"And the human?" Cynder asked.

Malefor cracked a wide grin. "I'm giving you the task of eliminating him. He poses too much of a threat to me if he's kept alive. Can you do that for me, Cynder?"

Cynder then added an evil grin of her own. "With pleasure…"

* * *

**_Oh boy...that can't be good. Can Matt and the others escape? What really has happened to put Malefor in power? All that and more next chapter._**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	21. Jailbreak!

**_Hey everybody! I hope you're ready for a long one! Let's just say this is gonna get interesting..._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

"Your weapon can do what?" Hunter asked in amazement.

"See for yourself," Matt replied. The young human pointed his Keyblade at the door's lock. A beam of light issued from it's tip straight for it. With an unlocking sound, the door to the jail cell opened with ease.

"Wow…," Selema exclaimed.

"How interesting…," Hunter added. "Your weapon is without a doubt one of the greatest I've ever seen, Matt."

"You have no idea," Matt replied with a chuckle. "All right then, how about we get out of this hell hole for good?"

Hunter began to move forward, but winced in apparent pain. He fell to his knees.

"Are you OK, Hunter?" Selema asked.

"Yes...," the cheetah replied. "But I have grown very weak in my time here." He sighed. "Perhaps you two should just…"

"Don't even think about it," Matt interrupted. "You're coming with us."

"We're not leaving you behind here whether you like it or not," Selema added.

Matt then walked over and had Hunter put his arm around his shoulder. He tried his best to ignore his friend's smell.

"Wait," Hunter said. "There's something we need before we get moving. Selema, I have a makeshift bow and arrows in the back of the cell. Could you get them for me?"

"Sure," the dragoness replied. She hurried over and found Hunter's things before bringing them back in her mouth.

"I didn't have much to do in here," Hunter added after Selema handed the weapons to him. "So I made these just in case an opportunity came up. They might come in handy."

"Good idea," Matt replied. "…now we can get moving. Which way, Hunter?"

"Thank you," Hunter replied. "Alright…if what I remember about the city is correct, then there should be a tunnel somewhere that leads out of the city. The moles used it for whenever they needed to evacuate anyone during the war. It's our best chance to escape."

With that, the group started off going deeper into the tunnels.

"I just hope my memory of this place is still good enough," Hunter exclaimed.

"What if we run into any apes?" Selema then asked.

"Don't worry about that," Matt replied. "I'll take care of them if it comes to that. No sweat."

"We must be careful though," Hunter added. "If you make too big of a noise, then the entire ape army will be put on alert. If that happens, I'd say our chances of escape are very, very slim."

Matt sighed. His friend had a good point. "Hopefully it doesn't come to that…" Selema gulped as well.

The trio continued down the tunnel. Like Matt had thought, it seemed to stretch on for miles. Soon, they came upon a fork in the path.

"Which way do we go?" Selema asked.

"Uh…," Matt exclaimed.

Hunter's ears twitched as he closed his eyes for a moment. "Right. Let's go right."

"You sure?"

"I can feel an airflow coming from that direction, and that should mean a way out."

The group went in that direction and continued on for what seemed like an eternity. The pace they had wasn't too strenuous with Matt carrying Hunter as best he could.

"Before we make it out," Hunter then spoke up. "I just wanted to ask again…what exactly will you both do next?"

Matt and Selema exchanged looks. Neither one seemed to have an answer. "I don't know," Matt replied. "I guess we're just making it up a plan as we go."

"You do know Cynder and her forces will come after us even if we do escape alive?" Hunter asked. "You both can't just run and hide forever."

Matt was silent for a few moments. "Well...I…"

"We'll figure something out," Selema said, giving a firm nod to her human companion.

"Right…we sure will…" Matt didn't say it out loud, but he'd needed those words more than he realized…especially from his good dragon companion.

After trekking along for some time, the group eventually made it to what Hunter confirmed as the end of the tunnel. However, that wasn't the only thing they spotted.

"Oh crap," Matt whispered. Standing in their wake was a group of four apes stationed directly in front of the exit. They all bore swords and armor. Luckily, their backs were to the group for now.

"I was afraid of this," Hunter exclaimed. "Cynder must have found out about this exit as well. That's why there are guards here."

"What do we do now?" Selema asked.

"Is there any other way out?" Matt also asked.

Hunter shook his head no. "This is the best way. If we don't make it out here, we don't make it out at all."

"I thought you were gonna say that." Matt sighed. "But if we fight these guys, we'll attract attention. Hm…"

"We must take them out quietly," Hunter added. "I can take one with my bow, but I don't think I can take anymore fast enough…"

"Maybe you won't have to. I've got an idea." The young human summoned his Keyblade once more. He then quickly explained what he had in mind to Selema and Hunter.

"Are you sure that will work?" Hunter asked. Selema looked eager as well.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," Matt replied. "I'll go first." He started to creep towards the enemies, then turned back for a moment. "Good luck."

"Be careful, Matt," Selema whispered. She then got down. Hunter carefully placed an arrow in his bow and took aim.

The young human crept as close as he could to the apes, still oblivious to his presence. He closed his eyes and pointed his Keyblade at them. In order for his plan to work, he'd have to do it quickly. Slowly, he concentrated some of his energy and focused himself.

_Here goes nothing…_Matt thought. He opened his eyes. "Blizzaga!" An ice beam flowed from his blade, instantly freezing the closest ape in his place in a block of ice.

"What the…?" One of the apes yelled. He didn't finish his sentence in time, for when Matt fired his spell, Hunter had fired his arrow straight for the ape's head. It fell to the ground being dead on his feet.

The other two apes were still stunned at what was happening, at that was all Matt would need. He pointed his Keyblade and used a different spell. "STOP!" Instantly, the apes were frozen in place for a short time.

Taking his chance, Matt quickly charged and struck down the third ape in his way with one slash. Before he could eliminate the final one however, it was instead taken down again by another arrow by the cheetah behind him.

All of the apes had been defeated…and it hadn't even taken a minute.

"Whew…," Matt said while wiping his brow. He returned to his comrades. "We did it…"

"Wow…," Selema said. "That was incredible you guys!"

Hunter nodded as he slung his shoulder around Matt again. "Indeed…that was quite impressive. Your skill with magic is much better than I thought it would be."

"Thanks," Matt replied. "Nice shots by the way."

"I'm glad I never did lose my touch." Hunter chuckled.

"Now can we get out of here?" Selema asked eagerly. She then led the way as the group found their way outside again. Not to Matt's surprise, but night had fallen on the land during their stay in the dungeon.

Hunter took a deep breath. "I must say…it feels good to do that again." He looked at the landscape around the group. "I don't remember the forest looking like this though." He paused. "Matt…Selema…I can never thank you both for this…"

"Don't mention it," Matt replied. "We were glad to."

"Yeah," Selema added. "We're just glad you were ok…we've lost enough friends already." She looked down at the ground with a sad expression.

"Don't worry, Selema," Matt said. He narrowed his brow. "We'll find the others…I just know it."

"I hope so…"

"Unfortunately," Hunter then spoke up. "It won't be too long before the apes notice our absence and the bodies. We must move quickly."

"Right," Matt and Selema said together. They quickened their pace into the forest…

* * *

Meanwhile, Cynder had finally arrived back at the holding cell, her assignment on her mind. "Alright…," she said. "Listen up you two…" She then looked inside and found that they weren't there. In fact, the door was wide open.

"WHAT?" The black dragoness roared in outrage. The noise could be heard by anyone who could be heard. "WHERE ARE THEY?"

As if on cue, one of the ape patrols quickly hurried to the scene. The leader in the headdress asked what was wrong, only to have Cynder grab him by the throat and shove him into the cell bars.

"What does this look like?" The dragoness commanded.

"But…," the leader choked. "That's…not possible." He grunted out in pain, his men frozen in fear.

"Really, General? You didn't see a human and a dragoness just walking around free on your watch?"

"But…but…"

"Failure is not an option…," Cynder then said quietly. "And you have done it for the last time…" With that, the dragoness quickly crushed the ape's neck in her grasp, killing him instantly. She then threw him into the cell. She then turned to her remaining troops. "Well…what are you waiting for? Find those prisoners this minute or you'll suffer the same fate! NOW GO!" Her roar caused the warriors to stir before they scattered in several directions once more.

Cynder's mind was racing, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Her master wouldn't be pleased about this. How could they have escaped?

Suddenly, a thought came to her mind. The cheetah from Avalar had been locked in this cell as well. He would have guided the human and the dragoness out…and there was only one place to do that. Cynder smiled before she disappeared into the shadows again.

Within an instant, she reappeared in her destination. However, what the black dragoness found was also not to her liking. The four apes she had placed here all lay dead. Two of them had been defeated by an arrow, perhaps by the cheetah warrior. The other two were frozen solid and defeated by a sword respectively.

Cynder growled at her warriors' failure. "Incompetent fools…," she bellowed. She turned and walked out into the night sky, letting off another large roar in frustration.

However, Cynder had learned to never lose focus that quickly. If the cheetah really was with them, then he would only slow the two prisoners down. They couldn't have gotten too far from the city at this point.

Cynder sighed. "I guess it's true what the Master says," she said to herself. "If you want something done right, you need to do it yourself." With that, she beat her wings and took to the skies once more. With new determination, she sped off into the night sky in pursuit of her prey…

* * *

After only about a half hour of walking, Matt, Hunter, and Selema all suddenly stopped when they had heard a loud roar echo across the forest. It had come from the direction of the city.

"Wha…what was that?" Selema asked.

"Cynder…," Matt replied slowly.

"They must have finally caught on to us," Hunter exclaimed.

"Damn it!" Matt yelled. He quickened his pace. "She's coming…"

Selema gasped. "Now what do we do?" she asked. "Do you think I can fly us out of here?"

"You can't carry both of us, Selema," Matt replied. "And even if you could, Cynder is too fast for you."

"It won't be long before she catches up to us," Hunter then said. "And if she does…it's over…"

Matt then stopped in his tracks. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Hunter was right…there was no way the three of them could outrun her…

"Selema…," he said softly.

"Yeah, Matt?" The dragoness looked into her friend's eyes, and it didn't take her long to know that something was wrong.

"I need you to do something for me."

"Wha…what is it?"

Matt took another deep breath. "I want you to take Hunter and go. If we keep going like this, Cynder's bound to catch up."

"What?" Selema cried. "But..what are you going to do?"

"What do you think?" Matt replied. He turned in the opposite direction. "I'm the only one who stands a chance against her. Maybe…maybe I can buy you guys some time…"

"Matt…," Hunter said slowly.

Selema shook her head, stunned at what her friend was thinking of trying. "No…no way."

"Selema…"

"NO! I'm not leaving you behind! We're in this together, Matt! You said so yourself!"

"I know what I said!" Matt cried. "But we don't have a choice now!"

"Yes we do! There has to be another way!" The pink dragoness was on the verge of tears. She shook her head to try and rid her eyes of the salty essence. "There just has to…"

Matt sighed and laid Hunter down for a moment. He then bent over and put a hand on Selema's face. "Selema…do you trust me?"

The dragoness sniffed. "You know I do…"

"Good, because I need you to do just that right now. I know that this is too much to ask of you, but as your teacher…as your friend…I'm asking you to do this for me right now. Please Selema…I don't want you to get hurt."

"But…what if you don't make it…?"

"I will," Matt replied. "I'll be right behind you…I promise."

Selema stared into the young human's eyes. She could tell that he was dead serious about this proposition. Deep down, the dragoness knew there was nothing she could say that would change his mind.

"Ok…," she whispered. "Ok…" She put her head down and let a few tears fall.

"Thank you…," Matt whispered back. He gave a firm nod before turning to Hunter. "I meant what I said before. Please…take care of her for me."

"I will," Hunter replied with a firm nod. "Good luck to you, Matt. May the Ancestors be with you."

"Right." With that, Matt sprinted in the opposite direction. He didn't even think about looking back…not that he could anyway.

Selema looked up as she saw him run off into the distance. Inside, she felt horrible at the thought that she might not see him again.

"Don't worry Selema," Hunter then said. "Something tells me that your friend won't go down that easily…"

Matt hurried as fast as he could before he reached a small clearing in the forest. He then pointed his Keyblade into the sky, sending a fire spell into the air.

"C'mon…c'mon…," he said to himself.

Meanwhile, Cynder had been flying for only a couple of minutes before she saw something strange. An orange light had spawned over a section of the forest. Curiously, she hurried towards the source.

To her surprise, she looked down and saw the human just standing there. His hands were behind his head.

"Well well…," Cynder said to herself. "Looks like someone finally came to their senses…" Without hesitating, she quickly flew down and landed upon the surface of the forest.

It was silent for a few moments between both Matt and Cynder before the latter finally spoke.

"I must hand it to you, human," Cynder exclaimed. "You must be somewhat brave in order to try and escape me…but you also must be foolish enough to even have come this far." Matt remained silent for the moment. "Alright then, tell me. Where is the dragoness? I know she was with you."

Matt took a deep breath before he stared into the green eyes of the dragoness before him. "That doesn't matter now, Cynder. What does matter is that I want answers…and I want them right now!"

Cynder laughed. "You really must be a fool to demand such a request. If you think that you can just hide the girl from me, then you are gravely mistaken."

Matt ignored her and continued on. "You know what? You can cut the crap already! You're the fool if you think you can intimidate me! I'm not going anywhere until I know the truth!" He summoned his Keyblade back to his hand and pointed it at Cynder. "Now tell me! Where's Spyro?"

Cynder flinched at the sound of the purple dragon's name. "What did I tell you about saying that name?"

"Does it look like I care?" Matt yelled back.

Cynder growled back. "You want to know that badly then? Very well! It doesn't change your fate either way!" The dragoness then narrowed her eyes before speaking again. "If you hadn't heard by now…the one named Spyro is _dead_."

Matt gasped hard, his eyes widening in surprise. "That's a lie!"

"Is it that hard to believe?" Cynder asked again. "Well…believe it or not it's the truth! Spyro is gone, and he isn't coming back!"

Matt clenched his fist hard. His whole body shook with shock. "Spyro…," he said under his breath. "No…" As much as he wanted to think Cynder was lying…deep down he had a feeling she wasn't…

Cynder then widened her grin. "Don't worry though… you'll soon be joining him." The dragoness then crouched low in a battle stance and bared her teeth. "I'll be seeing to that."

Matt quickly came to his senses and got back into his stance. He then remembered his purpose for coming here in the first place. "That's not gonna happen!" He cut the air with his blade. "_I'll_ to seeing to that..."

* * *

**_Oh boy...I'm going to bet that when this story first came up, every single one of you didn't see this matchup coming. Matt vs. Dark Cynder? This is REALLY going to be a good one. _**

**_A lot of you pretty well have a good idea at what's happened to change the timeline, but do you know the whole story? How did Spyro die? Is there a way to fix things? If you didn't know by now, I love making you guys think X)_**

**_On a minor note, the other spell Matt used is a legit spell. The 'Stop' spell has been used in KH and KH:BBS before._**

**_Until next time..._**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	22. Matt vs Cynder?

**_Hey everyone! I know you've probably been waiting anxiously for this chapter...so here it is. I hope you won't be disappointed..._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

Deep in the safety of his lair, Malefor was waiting patiently for his servant to return. He had known her task wouldn't be simple, but he still knew she was capable of doing the job. After all, she had been trained by him all these years for these kinds of missions. She would be ready for anything.

Suddenly, the Dark Master closed his eyes for a moment. A sudden urgency had come upon him. In his mind, he saw several things occurring at once. The apes were running around in confusion, with one ape in particular dead in a cell. No doubt that was by Cynder's paw…

He saw the pink dragoness running through the forest, a cheetah on her back. It was the dragon he had ordered Cynder to capture, but somehow she had escaped. Malefor pondered over to how this occurred, but his vision then shifted once more. What he saw this time was far more interesting…

* * *

Matt couldn't believe his luck, which was usually pretty good. He'd had to fight Spyro and his dark side some time ago, and now he would have to do the same with Cynder in her adult form.

The only problem was that this time…there wouldn't be someone coming to help him. He was on his own…

The Keyblader and Cynder stared each other down, each of them daring to make the first move. The expression of cutting the tension with a knife was an understatement to say the least.

Before his very eyes, Cynder suddenly disappeared into the shadows with a flash. Matt gasped when she then reappeared just feet away from him…with a deadly claw aimed straight for his chest…

"Whoa!" Matt didn't know how he'd done it, but he managed to focus enough to make a furious backflip to barely avoid getting gutted. He landed a ways behind on his own two feet, but it wasn't over yet. Just as he recovered, Cynder came at him again, this time with her teeth aiming to bite.

"I don't think so!" Matt yelled. He swung his blade in defense to try and counter the larger enemy. To his surprise, it did enough damage to halt Cynder's attack. The black dragoness growled in pain, twitching her nose in discomfort.

Matt decided to try and go on the offensive by charging in for a direct attack. However, Cynder was ready for him. As he was about to jump into the air, her tail suddenly came out of nowhere and pummeled into his back, knocking the wind out of him. Cynder then came with her tail again and sent Matt flying several yards into the ground below, causing him to grunt in pain.

"Hmph," Cynder snorted. "Looks like this is going to be easier than I thought…" She then opened her mouth and sent a stream of shadow fire at the young human, hoping to finish him off.

Matt looked up to see the attack coming and threw up his Keyblade out of instinct in defense. He managed to concentrate hard enough to catch her attack within his blade, but the force still sent him back a few inches.

"What?" Cynder cried in surprise. "How did you…?"

"Right back at you!" Matt quickly hurled the dark energy back to where it came from. Unfortunately, Cynder disappeared into the shadows in time to avoid getting hit. "Damn it!" he yelled.

"Looking for me, boy!" The young human looked up in time to see Cynder hovering several feet in the air above him. "Well, here I am!" Without hesitating, the black dragoness started to spit out several poison bombs straight for her target.

"Crap!" Matt shouted. The green projectiles came hurtling for him at high speeds, but he was able to move himself out of the way in time. The problem was that the blasts kept on coming…

Matt grunted out in frustration. This fight was going to be more difficult than he had realized. Not only did Cynder have the use of shadows to her advantage, but she could also fly and keep herself out of range.

_I've got to think of something…or I'm not going to last very long…_

Matt looked around at his surroundings after dodging another poison bomb. An idea suddenly came to mind…but it wouldn't be easy. _Here goes nothing…_ The young human raced towards one of the dead trees. He then focused his mind before running up the length of the trunk. When he got to the middle, he curled his legs inward and launched himself straight for the black dragoness in his path.

"Take this!" Matt yelled. He prepared his blade to strike.

However, Cynder only laughed in his face as she had been ready for him once more. She blew her shadow fire straight at him. There was no way he could dodge it in time. To her surprise however, the young human before her disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What?" The dragoness cried. "How did he?"

"Too slow!" came a voice from behind her. Matt suddenly appeared behind the dragoness and took advantage of his opportunity. "FIRAGA MAXIMA!" His fire spell exploded from his Keyblade and hit Cynder dead on in the back, causing her to roar in pain.

"Damn you!" The dragoness yelled. A large chunk of her scales had been signed, and they burned painfully. "You'll pay for that!"

Matt landed on his feet before letting out a huge breath of air. The Clone technique really had come in handy there, but he knew that Cynder couldn't possibly fall for it again. The truth was…he could've done a lot more damage than that…but he didn't have the heart to do it.

He decided to take another stab at getting through to his former friend. "C'mon, Cynder! This is pointless! Why should we have to keep fighting? I know deep down you can't want to do this…"

Cynder snorted. "You're wrong there, boy. It is the will of my Master that your life is to end…and if you start with the talk of me being your friend again, I promise you will regret it."

Matt grunted. He gripped his blade harder. Somehow, he had a feeling that this was only gonna get harder…but he wasn't about to give up that easily…

* * *

Selema had been carrying Hunter around for the last several minutes. She couldn't move too fast because of the cheetah's weight, but she still hurried along as fast as she could.

Hunter looked into the dragoness's eyes from his standpoint and knew that all was not well. "Selema…," he said suddenly. "Please stop for a second…"

"Ok." The pink dragoness came to sudden halt, almost sending her passenger flying. "Is something wrong, Hunter? Are you alright?"

The cheetah warrior chuckled. "I am just fine young one."

"Then why did you stop me?"

Hunter surprised her by asking a question of his own. "What do you think you're doing, Selema?"

"Huh?" She gave him a confused look. "What are you talking about? I'm getting us as far away from Warfang as possible." The dragoness looked down for a moment. "I'm doing what Matt asked me to do."

Hunter nodded to say he understood, but he wasn't quite through yet. "Then let me ask you another question…is this what you really want to do?"

Selema hesitated before replying. "I…I don't know…" She had begged Matt not to fight Cynder, but she knew he was only trying to make sure she didn't get hurt. It made her feel helpless, but what could she really do to help? "I'm just…so scared…"

"For Matt?"

Selema nodded. "I know he's strong, Hunter…but what if he can't beat Cynder? He's already lost some of his powers since we first got here. I just feel like something bad is going to happen to him if he fights her alone…"

Hunter closed his eyes and nodded once more. "Then what are you waiting for?"

"Wha…what?" The dragoness stared at her friend in utter shock at his words. "But…I can't. I've got to get you out of here."

"Selema…you and Matt have done enough for me already. Please…do not make feel any more guilty than I already am."

"Guilty? About what?"

Hunter turned his head and stared out into the night sky. "As painful as it is to admit, I have long given up hope for the safety of this world." He turned back to Selema. "Young dragon, you and Matt have shown me kindness and courtesy under the gravest of circumstances. For that, I can never repay." He paused a moment before speaking again. "You and Matt have a strong bond...the kind I haven't seen for a long time."

Selema smiled. "Yeah…we sure do…"

"And it is because of that bond that you must go to him, Selema. Matt is indeed a strong warrior, but strength alone will not be enough to defeat Cynder. He needs you…"

"But…what about you? You're still not at full strength."

Hunter chuckled. "Fear not, young dragon. I can carry on my own from this point on. You have given me my freedom to choose my own path…and that one isn't the same as the path you two must walk."

"Hunter…"

The cheetah could sense the doubt in the dragoness's eyes. "You have a strong heart, Selema, and right now you must listen to what it's trying to tell you."

Selema gasped. She placed a paw over chest. Deep down, there really was only one thing on her mind. She gave her friend a firm nod. "You're right…I'm not going to leave him behind. I don't know what I can do to help, but Matt and I are in this together."

"Good," Hunter said. "Now what are you waiting for? Hurry!"

Selema nodded and slowly turned to leave. "Hunter….please be careful."

"I will," the cheetah replied. "And when you do see Matt, tell him he has my gratitude."

Selema nodded. Without hesitating, she leaped up into the air and took off into the opposite direction.

"Good luck, Selema!" Hunter yelled into the sky. "May the Ancestors watch over you…" With that, the cheetah smiled and treaded forward into the night. What awaited him…he did not know…

* * *

The battle raged on between Matt and Cynder, with neither of them gaining an advantage. The latter had decided to take her chances on the ground where she could keep a better eye on her opponent.

Matt had quickly adjusted to Cynder's tactics as she constantly tried to use the shadows to hide and reappear. Luckily, he was able to anticipate each of her advancements in time to avoid getting struck down.

However, laying a blow on the black dragoness wasn't an easy task either. She was just as fast as he was, making it difficult to land a scratch. Matt tired using his blizzard spell once to slow her down, but it was blocked by Cynder's shadow fire before it hit.

"Darn it…," Matt muttered. "This is going nowhere." He was getting a little tired, but he couldn't stop now. Selema and Hunter were counting on him.

Meanwhile, Cynder was beginning to grow impatient. She knew that the human wasn't an easy foe, but this battle was taking much too long for her liking. The pink dragoness was getting father away with each second…

The two paused for a moment, staring into each other's eyes.

"Ready to quit, Cynder?" Matt asked with a crooked grin. He chuckled a little to his surprise. He had never really fought her one-on-one before, which was quite ironic. One thing was for sure...Cynder was a tough opponent...and more than a match for him.

Cynder growled in response. "This has gone far enough," she said. "As 'fun' as this may be, I have a task to complete…and I WILL NOT FAIL!" She then let out a monstrous scream from her maw, making the area quake around her. Trees fell over from their roots as a result of her power release.

Matt dropped his blade and covered his ears, cursing to himself in agony. She was finally using her siren scream against him…and it was working. His body shuddered violently out of fear for a minute or so….and it was all Cynder would need.

The young human gasped at what he saw. While he'd been stunned, Cynder had been gathering an enourmous amount of energy, making her glow a deep shade of purple.

_Uh oh…_He thought. _I'm in trouble…_

Cynder cackled madly, her eyes narrowing to small slits. "Now, you fool! Witness my true power! The power of convexity itself! No one can stand against it! Not even you!"

Matt grunted furioiusly. His mind was racing as the sweat poured down his body…this was bad…

"NOW!" Cynder screamed. "DIE!" She concentrated the energy in her maw and released it simultaneously in a large purple beam…and it was coming straight for him…

Matt's eyes widened with fear. There was nothing he could do but put up his Keyblade in defense, the only shield he had left.

When it finally connected, Matt felt as though he had been hit by a train coming at full speed. He was instantly hurled off his feet and sent flying backwards by the Convexity beam. He screamed in agony as pain from each and every part of his body overwhelmed him. Smashing through several trees in his path only made things worse…

As soon as it had started, it was over as Matt hit the ground hard on his back. He gritted and screamed again as his body tensed up again.

Cynder panted hard. She then laughed to herself, pleased with her work. "That's right…not even he could handle the power of Convexity." She began to stride towards him.

When he opened his eyes once more, the only thing Matt could feel was numbness everywhere throughout his body. He somehow lifted his head and gazed down upon himself. His clothes had been torn to shreds by Cynder's attack, with more holes than he could count.

Matt groaned. If it hadn't been for the Keyblade he would've been dead…or even obliterated. Unfortunately, he was now feeling extremely weak. The young human could hardly move anything on his body.

However, he could still hear Cynder's footsteps coming his way…

_Crap!_ He thought. _I have to get up…_

Summoning his remaining energy, Matt called the Keyblade to his hand to try and recharge…but it was too late. Before he knew it, his arms were soon pinned to the side by a large force. He gasped and found the black dragoness staring straight into his eyes.

"I don't think so…," Cynder said. "You're not escaping me now…"

Matt tried with all his might to move, but Cynder was too big and too strong for him to move. Without the Keyblade in his hand, he was powerless…

Cynder chuckled to herself. "I admit…you put up a decent fight…and how you survived my attack I'll never know…but now it's time for you to meet your end."

"Cynder…," Matt breathed. "Please…don't do this…" He grunted in pain.

Cynder laughed again. "Foolish even till the end…"

Matt watched in horror as she moved her tail blade across her body and aimed it straight for his throat. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst. This was it…

_Selema…Spyro…everyone…I'm sorry…_

He waited for what felt like an eternity for Cynder to strike…but for some reason…the exact opposite happened.

"NO!" yelled a familiar voice out of nowhere, followed by a roar of pain from the black dragoness on top of him.

_What the…?_ Matt thought as he slowly opened his eyes out of curiosity. What he found made him stare in shock at what was happening.

_Selema…?_

The pink dragoness had somehow arrived just in the nick of time. She had bitten down hard on Cynder's tail just as it was about to plunge into Matt. Cynder flailed around furiously to try and shake her off.

"Se…lema…," Matt groaned.

Cynder growled furiously. "Why you little…" She then slowly merged back into the shadows, causing Selema to fall back to the ground. She quickly averted her attention to her friend.

"Matt!" She yelled, hurrying to his side. "Are you alright?"

"No…Selema…run…"

The dragoness shook her head. "No, Matt…not without you..."

Suddenly, an evil laugh echoed through the night as Cynder reappeared again right in front of them. She then grabbed the stunned Selema by the throat and lifted her in the air.

"Selema!" Matt yelled.

The smaller dragoness gasped for breath, trying desperately to escape from Cynder's grasp...but it was no use.

Cynder snorted with anger. "You've got a lot of nerve to try something like that…" She squeezed her grip even tighter. "Fortunately for you, my Master wants you alive…so consider yourself lucky." The next thing he knew, Matt could only watch helplessly as his friend was then hurled to the other side of the clearing before slamming into a tree trunk, causing her to shriek out in pain.

Matt gasped. He watched as Selema then hit the ground hard. Her body lay motionless on the cold earth…

"NO!" he yelled. "SELEMA!"

Cynder grinned a huge grin as she then turned back to him. She could easily carry the dragoness back to the Master now. "Now then…where were we?" She began to walk back towards Matt.

The young human stared in horror as his friend lay on the ground, not knowing whether she was still alive or knocked unconscious. He'd failed her as a friend and teacher…

_Selema…no…_

Suddenly, Matt started to shake with a newfound energy. Hatred rose in him faster than ever before…and it made his body glow with a blinding light.

Cynder stopped in her tracks as she watched. "What…what's this?" she asked herself. She then stared in awe as Matt slowly got to his feet, his head lowered to the ground.

The Keyblade instantly flashed in his hand, it too glowing vibrantly. "You…," he said coldly. He rose his head to face her. Cynder gasped in shock as his eyes now glowed bright with white. "YOU...WILL…PAY!"

* * *

**_Uh oh...this certainly can't be good...or is it? Is Selema ok? What is happening to Matt? What could possibly happen next...? You'll just have to wait and find out. _**

**_Again, thanks to all those who read/review my story. It's one of the reasons I keep going. _**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	23. Not a Monster

**_Hello once again readers! Bet you didn't this fast of an update, did you? Truth was, I had this ready to go earlier, but I felt that ending last chapter on a cliffhanger was the best way to go. Besides, a lot of you said you couldn't wait for this chap...so here you go!_**

**_Before we start, I just wanted to get across that Matt doesn't really have a 'Dark' form. I could see where you'd think that, but that's just not the case. Let's just say he's in sort of a 'Rage'. Yeah...hope that's enough..._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

Cynder backed away slowly as he strode forward. She sensed a strange, new power rising within you the human warrior that certainly hadn't been there before. Where had he gotten this energy? She had seen someone look like this since…since….

Before she could continue the thought, Matt suddenly disappeared before her eyes in a flash.

"What…?" she asked, looking around wildly.

Matt then reappeared right beneath her. "TAKE THIS!" He then unleashed a massive combo attack onto her underbelly, making her roar with pain. He then quickly jumped high in the air and finished with another blow to Cynder's head, launching the larger dragoness backwards.

Cynder gasped in shock as she struggled back to her feet. _How did he get so fast?_ Thinking quickly, she opened her maw and unleashed another siren scream to try and slow him down. To her surprise, Matt charged straight into it without slowing down whatsoever.

"My turn…," he said, pointing his Keyblade into the sky. "THUNDAGA MAXIMA!" Several small thunderclouds formed in the sky before releasing a torrent of thunderbolts down on the black dragoness. They each ripped through her body, sending a jolt of pain with each shock. She roared in agony.

"Had enough?" Matt yelled as he cut the air with his blade. The light surrounding his body flashed for a brief instant.

Cynder struggled back to her feet. She could sense his power growing with each second. She wouldn't last long at this rate. Though her Master had warned against the idea she had in mind, she knew she had no choice.

"Damn you!" She screamed out. "This has gone on long enough!" She then concentrated all her energy into another full Convexity attack.

"I don't think so!" Matt yelled as he charged forward, looking to intercept her before she got the chance.

However, Cynder had anticipated this move and used her tail to knock him aside…but he once again disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"What? Not again!" she yelled. Sensing a strong energy behind her, the black dragoness quickly turned around to face it. What she found made her gasp in fright.

While Matt had distracted her for that one moment, he had started to gather his own energy and funneled it deep into his Keyblade. A beam of light had begun to form at the end of its tip, and it was growing with each passing second.

_That power…how is he…?_

"What…what are you?" Cynder yelled as her body continued to glow with shadow, her attack almost complete. No human could possess this kind of power…

"Cynder!" Matt yelled back. "This is gonna end right here! Right now!" His eyes grew wider as he prepared to unleash his greatest weapon. "KINGDOM…BLAST!" He then unleashed his energy attack straight for her.

"BEGONE!" Cynder yelled back as she unleashed her Convexity beam right back at him.

The two beams met in the middle of the clearing, but only one stood tall. The Kingdom Blast had torn straight through Cynder's attack. The black dragoness could only watch in shock as the energy connected with her, sending a near unbearable pain coursing throughout her entire body. She let out a roar of pain that could be heard from miles away. It caused an explosion to rock the land around them, sending waves of energy throughout the land.

When the dust finally cleared, Matt looked down to see his foe lying on her side. She had taken an extreme amount of damage from his attack, but she somehow was still breathing…though it was labored.

Cynder on the other hand couldn't even feel her body anymore. She had used every last ounce of her energy to make her Convexity beams…and now she couldn't even move.

Matt was breathing heavily, his Kingdom Blast taking a lot out of him. However, his eyes still glowed white with light and his body still shook in anger. Even though Cynder was down for the count, he wanted more…he wanted to make her feel even more pain for what she'd done to Selema...what she'd done to everyone else…

He began to walk slowly towards Cynder…knowing what he had to do next…

Meanwhile, on the other side of the clearing, a certain pink dragoness slowly stirred. She groaned a little before she rose off the ground. "What…happened…?" she asked herself. The last thing she remembered was…

"Matt…" she quickly looked around and saw him on his feet. He was alright! However…he looked…different. She could feel a new kind of power emitting from his body, making him glow. His eyes were a shade of white…and from what she could tell he was easily the angriest she'd ever seen him. "Matt…?"

Selema then saw Cynder lying on the ground, her body covered in various wounds. Somehow…someway…he had done it. He'd beaten her. However, Selema then gasped in realization, knowing what he was planning to do next. His words suddenly rose through her mind…

_"Selema…before I teach you anything further…there's something I want you to promise me."_

_"What is it?" The dragoness asked._

_"The one thing you need to understand is that power isn't everything. I've seen time and time again those who use their power for the wrong reasons…especially to hurt those who are innocent." Matt paused. "There should only be two reasons that you should ever have to fight, Selema. You either fight to defend yourself…or to protect those you care about. Do you understand that?"_

_Selema took a few moments to ponder over it before nodding back a yes to him._

_"Now…promise me that you will only fight for those reasons…nothing more…" He had stared into her eyes as he had spoken, making sure he got the message across._

_Selema nodded again. "I promise…"_

"Oh no…," Selema whispered. "He's going to…" She hurried to his side before she finished the sentence.

Soon, Matt had gotten alongside Cynder and stood over her, his Keyblade still in his hand.

The black dragoness looked back at him and smiled weakly. "Well…it looks like you've won…" She let out a soft laugh. "Go ahead…you said I would pay…why not back up your words…?"

Matt grunted. He breathed hard through his teeth. The only thing he wanted to do was to make sure no one would ever be hurt like Selema was. He had to end it right now.

Matt slowly raised his blade above his head…

"That's right…," Cynder said. "Do it…end my life…" She closed her eyes in preparation.

Matt clenched his teeth. He tensed his hand and gripped his blade hard. He then took aim…

"MATT! STOP!"

The young human gasped. He turned around to see Selema standing before him, and a look of fear was etched across her face. He'd seen her like this before…but never when she looked at him…

"Matt, don't…," she said. "Don't do it…" A tear slowly rolled down the young dragoness's cheek. "It's not worth killing her…"

Cynder growled weakly from below. "Don't listen to her…Finish it…"

"Matt…listen to me. You don't need to do anything else…let's just go…please…"

Matt looked back and forth between the two dragons, torn between different plans of action. Suddenly, it occurred to him.

_What am I doing…? Was I really about to…kill Cynder?_

Matt stared at the largerdragoness again. Only this time he didn't see the Terror of the Skies anymore…instead he saw the Cynder he had come to know…his friend.

He closed his eyes and remembered all the times they had fought together and the look of Cynder's smiling face next to Spyro's on the balcony of the Temple. Had it only been so recent?

_Spyro…_He suddenly thought. _Spyro wouldn't want this…no matter how evil she may be…and Selema…I can't do something like this in front of her…it isn't who I am…_

Matt's eyes opened and they suddenly went back to their normal shade of brown. The light around his body began to fade. He let out a deep sigh in relief and lowered his Keyblade to his side.

Cynder stared at him in disbelief. "What are you waiting for, you imbecile? DO IT! KILL ME!"

"No…," Matt replied back firmly. He then threw his Keyblade aside, with it disappearing with a flash of light. "I won't do it…I'm done…" He then turned his back and began to walk away.

Cynder couldn't believe what had just happened. She had wanted it to finally end, but it hadn't… "You coward! Why? Why won't you do it?"

Matt stopped in his tracks. He then turned around and looked her dead in the eye.

"I'm not a monster…," he exclaimed. "And Cynder…neither are you." He then continued to walk away, his job finished.

Cynder gasped at the words, her jaw dropping as far as it could go. _What…? _

Selema had watched the entire time. She stared at Matt as he finally came to her side and knelt down before her.

"Are you alright?" Matt asked. She gave a small nod, but her head tilted downward.. He noticed a small gash on Selema's head from where she'd hit the tree. "Here…let me fix this…" He brought his Keyblade back to his hand and placed it's tip on her head. "Curaga…," he muttered. Green light poured from his blade, soaking into her entire body. The wound slowly came together till it was completely healed.

"All better?" Matt asked.

"Yeah…," Selema replied. "Matt…what happened to you?"

Matt hung his head in shame. "I…don't know. When Cynder hurt you back there, I got…really…angry. So angry…that I lost control…of my emotions."

"You looked so…so…different. You looked…terrifying."

"I'm sorry, Selema. If it wasn't for you, I would have done something I'd regret for the rest of my life." He chuckled weakly. "Some teacher I am…"

Selema smiled and placed a paw on his shoulder. "It's ok. Even you make mistakes sometimes…right?"

Matt nodded. "Still…" He paused. "You came back for me…why?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're my friend. I'm not going to leave you behind. We're in this together, Matt, whether you like it or not." She then pulled him in close and rested her head on his shoulder. "Just do me a favor...don't scare me like that again…ever."

Matt returned the embrace and nodded. "I won't, Selema. I promise you that."

All the while, Cynder watched from afar as the two had embraced. She then looked towards the night sky…

_Why...why would he spare me? Why not just kill me? I don't understand…_

_Is…is this really happening again? _Cynder remembered feeling weak like this before, only this time it had been at the realm of Convexity. She had been stripped of her power and had been reduced to her true form. Too weak to go on, she remembered how she had flung into the portal that would guarantee her certain doom…but she hadn't…instead she had been saved…which was the reason she was still alive to this day.

_Spyro…_she thought. _You saved my life even after everything I did to you…and now...now…_

Suddenly, the boy's words echoed through her mind. _Because I'm not a monster…and Cynder…neither are you._

"Why…?" she asked herself out loud. "Why does this keep happening to me?" She shook her head in frustration. "WHY?" The black dragoness slammed her head against the ground.

"Spyro…," she whispered. "You were…my only friend…the only one…who ever cared…" She sniffed hard. "And how did I repay you…by becoming…this?"

It was then the emotions overwhelmed Cynder until they filled her up completely. Tears began to pour from her eyes as she began to feel a pain worse than what she'd suffered at the hands of the human boy. Soon, she began to sob to herself before rising into a soft moan. Cynder layed her head back to the ground and let her salty tears roll into the grass below.

She didn't care anymore…not even for her own life…it was all a living hell anyways. Her purpose had been to serve her Master…nothing else. All that Cynder wanted to do now was to curl up and die…

The sound's of Cynder's sobs traveled to the ears of Selema, who noticed the face of her supposed enemy. "Matt…," she said quietly. "Look…"

Matt turned around curiously and couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was Cynder, the corrupted Terror of the Skies…_crying…_

"Huh?" Matt asked. "What the…?"

Suddenly, in front of both their eyes, Matt and Selema watched something amazing happen. As Cynder continued to tear and moan to herself, it seemed as though little specks of shadow were slowly rising up from her body. With each passing second, more and more shadows left the black dragoness's body. The duo then both gasped when Cynder started to _shrink_.

The horns on her head forced themselves back inwards to a shorter length. Her claws shortened back into her paws. Cynder's wings began to curl inwards into a smaller shape as well. Even her tail started to shorten in length.

"Wha…what's happening to her?" Selema asked.

"I…I don't know…" Matt was completely dumbfounded.

They watched on for several more minutes as Cynder continued to decrease in size. When it was all said and done, they couldn't believe it Now, the black dragoness looked…normal. Like she'd never been corrupted at all!

"I don't believe it," Matt exclaimed while shaking his head. "It's…_Cynder._ Our Cynder…"

"But how…?" Selema asked. "She said say she didn't remember us…" The pink dragoness then gasped when Matt took a step forward towards the fallen Cynder. "Matt…wait a minute…" However, he put up a hand to stop her. He nodded and then continued on.

The closer and closer Matt got to Cynder, the more he realized just how much she did look like new. However, he also felt that she was in great pain…and he had a feeling why.

Kneeling down slowly, he got on his hands and knees at Cynder's side. She hadn't moved an inch.

"Cynder…?" Matt asked. "Are…are you…alright?"

The dragoness beneath him shuddered for a moment, then looked back at him for the first time. Her eyes were their normal green, but they were also red and puffy…

"It's…all my fault…," she sobbed. "All my fault…"

"What's your fault?"Matt asked.

Cynder sniffed hard before sobbing some more. "Sp…Spyro. He's…gone…because of me. Because of ME!" She buried her face into her paws.

Matt looked at his former friend and stared in disbelief. As much as he wanted to know what happened to Spyro…deep down he knew he had to wait. The young human turned to Selema.

"We've got to get her out of here," he said. "And fast…"

Selema looked at him with confusion. "What? Are you crazy? I know she was once our friend but…"

Matt put up a hand to silence her. "I know the risks…but right now she's in too much pain to do much of anything. We need to find a place to camp…" He then looked back at Cynder. "Then…maybe we can find out the truth…"

* * *

**_Whoa...did Cynder really just do that? Is she really back to normal? You'll just have to wait and see..._**

**_On another note, I can't believe how long this story is actually turning out! We're not even close to being done yet! I guess it's just adding things in as I go...:) Thanks again everyone!_**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	24. The Ballad of Cynder

**_Hey everyone! I know this next chapter has been long overdue...but I can promise you right now that it's well worth the wait. It took me a while, but it's ready..._**

**_I'll warn you now...be ready for a big twist of events!_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

The next thing Cynder knew, she was laying next to a small warmth. She opened her eyes to find that she was lying next to a set up fire. She groaned slightly and looked around…only to find those same two people she had been ordered to find staring straight at her. The human and the pink dragoness.

Cynder gasped. She tried to stand, but found the task too difficult to accomplish, having forgotten she'd been through a tough fight.

"It's ok," Matt spoke up when he noticed her stirring. "We're not going to hurt you, Cynder."

"Yeah," Selema then added. "Try not to move. You're still recovering…"

Cynder then looked down and noticed that several wounds on her body had been covered by some sort of red fabric. She then looked back at Matt and found that the vest he'd been wearing before was now gone, leaving only the tattered remains of his white shirt.

"You were pretty banged up," Matt then said. "Are you feeling any better, Cynder?"

"Uh…yes…," the black dragoness replied. She looked them both over for a few moments, then came to a conclusion that they wouldn't attack her. However, she still remembered what had happened before.

"You should have just let me die," Cynder said coldly. She buried her face in her paws. "You had me beat! Why didn't you just end me?"

"Because…," Matt simply said. "It wouldn't have been right…" Selema nodded along with him.

"You said…I wasn't a monster. Why…?"

"That's simple. You aren't a monster, Cynder. You never were."

Cynder glared back at him. "How dare you? You know _nothing_ about me. Do you hear me? NOTHING!" To her surprise, a few tears came running down her cheeks.

Matt looked at Selema, who gave him another nod that meant he could go further. He slowly moved closer to Cynder's side.

"I know you don't believe this…, " he began. "But I know that …you never wanted any of this to happen. I know deep down who you really are…and that's my good friend."

Cynder then stared him in the eyes. "Even…even after everything I've done…even after almost killing and your friend…you're forgiving me?" Matt nodded. The black dragoness couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her enemy…considered her a friend?

_Just like Spyro did…_ Cynder then thought. She choked hard on the idea. "Spyro…," she then whispered. The pain from before suddenly came back, filling her with grief. She looked at Matt and Selema again. "You…said you both knew Spyro?"

Matt nodded. "Spyro is one of my really good friends." The teen then looked down. "But…is it true? Is he really…?"

Cynder didn't need to speak in order to answer him. She immediately buried herself in her paws and wept uncontrollably.

Matt winced at the thought, but he knew what he had to do next. "Cynder…I know this is a lot to ask…but…can you tell us what happened to Spyro?" Cynder didn't respond. "Please...we have to…"

"Matt, wait," Selema suddenly spoke up. "Let me try." She slowly walked over to join him at Cynder's side. To his surprise, she wrapped one of her wings over Cynder and scooted up next to her .

"Cynder…," Selema said softly. "It's ok. Don't be afraid. You can tell us…please."

Cynder then looked up with puffy red eyes and stared at the dragoness giving her comfort. She then noticed Matt place his hand on her shoulder, giving her a firm nod as well. For some reason…she felt…different. A newfound courage slowly built up in her until she was ready.

"It all started at Convexity," she began. Cynder explained how Spyro had defeated her when she had tried to free her Master. This included her going back to her original form.

"I remember being pulled into the gate…I thought I was going to die. But Spyro…he saved me…and brought me back with him. I didn't understand why he did it after everything I had done…but he still did it anyway." She paused a moment. "For a short time, I stayed at the Temple with Spyro and the Guardians. No matter how hard I wanted to believe in it, I knew that I didn't belong there. So I decided to run as far as I could away from them. Spyro tried to stop me…but he didn't understand."

Cynder continued on about how she wondered on throughout the land until she was captured by a band of rogue pirates. "They forced me to fight for their own entertainment. Worthless scum…"

"What happened next?" Selema asked eagerly. Matt already knew, but didn't say anything.

"I don't know if it was fate or coincidence…but one day when I went out to fight…there Spyro was. I couldn't believe it at the time. We were going to try and escape together…but then the apes attacked the ship…and I was captured...and taken to Gaul at the Well of Souls." Cynder's voice started to shake as she spoke.

Matt listened in curiously. "Alright…what happened there?"

Cynder's body began to shake along with her voice. "I…I remember Gaul was trying to get me to go back to his side…but I refused. I knew I was probably going to die…but I didn't really care." She then gasped slowly. Matt and Selema pleaded for her to continue, which she did reluctantly. "Then…when I thought it was all over…Spyro…came. He came for me. Gaul…he tried to force us to fight, but I had a plan in mind. I tried to take away his staff…but he knocked me out."

"Then what?" Matt asked.

Cynder then started to weep even harder, but she still kept her composure. "The next thing I knew…I saw Sparx standing over a hole in the middle of the floor…with a beam of darkness emitting from the middle. He said that Spyro and Gaul had fallen down there and hadn't come up." She paused and sniffed hard. "When it was over…Gaul…he came up from the hole…_holding Spyro's body_."

"What?" Matt asked. Selema gasped out in surprise as well.

Cynder nodded. "I tried to fight that monster…but he was too strong for me. He looked…and was different from before…but it didn't matter. Spyro was…dead…" She then finally let it out, crying madly into Selema's chest.

"What happened to Sparx?" Matt asked. He had wondered about the dragonfly's fate for some time.

"I don't know…Gaul probably killed him too…"

Matt winced at the thought of Sparx being gone as well. "That monster…"

"And then…Malefor came…I heard him in my head. He offered to spare me if I joined him again…but I refused." Cynder then winced. "But…seeing Spyro like that…I…I couldn't take it anymore…"

"So he offered you a way to get rid of the pain…didn't he?" Matt asked. "By clearing your conscience…"

"Oh, Cynder…," Selema whimpered. She was on the verge of tears as well. The pink dragoness had known of Cynder's story…but never like this.

Matt looked off the side and stared off into space. _But…that's not possible. Spyro beat Gaul…not the other way around. _

Cynder then cried out loud. "Do you see now? If Spyro hadn't come after me, he'd be alive right now! He would have saved the world from…the Master. Why? Why would he come after me? WHY?"

"I can answer that," Matt then said firmly.

"Huh?" Cynder and Selema looked at him with questioning looks. "How would you know?"

Matt chuckled. "You don't want to know how…but I'll tell you why he came for you, Cynder." He paused. "It's because he saw something within you that no one else did. At the time, he didn't know another dragon like himself his age…until he met you." Cynder gasped.

"I know this may sound strange…but Spyro knew there were risks and that he should've stayed where it was safe. But you know what? He didn't. He didn't because he refused to let you turn back to the darkness, knowing you never had a choice in your life. "

Cynder just stared at him, shaking her head in disbelief. "I…don't believe it. I know he cared for me…but…still…" She then cried some more into Selema's chest. "He's gone…and he's not coming back."

Matt's eyes drifted to the ground. He knew then and there he couldn't ask anything else. Instead, he could only just sit on the piece of earth and accept that Cynder was right…Spyro was gone.

Cynder continued to weep for the next several minutes, with Selema shedding a few tears as well in silence. They stayed like that until Matt decided it was time to call it a night.

* * *

Far away in his lair, Malefor was steaming at what he had just witnessed. Not only had Cynder been defeated by the human warrior, but he'd also reminded the black dragoness of Spyro. Somehow, his memory had been enough for her to regain control of her mind.

"No matter," the Dark Master said to himself. "Cynder is _my _warrior. Not even she will resist me when I use my full power." He closed his eyes. "In the mean time…" Suddenly, he opened them and his yellow eyes glowed. Using his powers, he made his voice heard across the city of Warfang, where a large number of his apes awaited their next command.

"HEAR ME MY WARRIORS! THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH! GO FORTH AND BRING THE PINK DRAGONESS TO ME! KILL THE HUMAN WARRIOR! I WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY!"

Malefor heard the battle cries of his warriors as they stormed forward from the city into the forest. It wouldn't be long until they found the escaped prisoners.

"Until then," he said to himself. "Time to get my general back under my control."

* * *

Matt and Selema had slowly fallen asleep next to the fire. Cynder, on the other hand, couldn't even attempt to close her eyes. She stared into the flames as she pondered over what had just happened to her.

Cynder wondered what she could possibly do now. These two individuals had shown something she hadn't been given for the longest time.

Friendship.

But how could she possibly repay them for what they'd done? She already knew they were marked for death and that her Master wouldn't stop coming for them. Still...Cynder wondered what would happen if she stayed with them…?

_You don't belong with them, Cynder. You belong with me! _Came a voice from within her head.

Cynder gasped. "No…," she said to herself. "NO!"

_That's right…now…give in…join me once more…_

Cynder screamed and fell to her side, clutching her head in the process. "No...never…" she said. "I won't let you…hurt them…"

_Foolish girl…do you think you have a choice? You should know by now what I'm capable of. You cannot resist..."_

Cynder continued to scream out as she felt herself lose control. Black shadows began to creep over her body…just like before.

The dragoness's moans were loud enough to break Matt and Selema from their slumber. They only stared in horror at what was happening before them.

"Wh..what's going on?" Selema cried. "What's happening to her?"

"Oh no…," Matt mumbled. He wasted no time in heading to Cynder's side. The teen tried to touch her, but the shadows burned his hand, making him cry in pain. The moment he did, he heard and felt a dark presence coming from inside her. "Malefor…" He narrowed his brow before summoning his Keyblade.

"Matt, what are you doing?" Selema asked.

The human turned to her. "Helping her…just trust me…I've done this before."

"What?"

The next thing Matt knew, he took his Keyblade and concentrated his energy into it. A small beam of light slowly shone on it's tip. He then pointed it straight at Cynder's chest.

"Hang in there, Cynder…," Matt said before he released the beam. It made contact with Cynder's chest, making her scream out in even more agony. Taking a deep breath, Matt then took his other hand and placed it into the beam. He felt himself being launched forward…

* * *

The next thing Matt knew, he was standing on a small pedestal surrounded by a darkness. He looked around and found what he was looking for.

Cynder was lying on the same pedestal several feet away from him. She was curled in a fetal position and rocking back and forth on the ground below her.

"Cynder!" Matt yelled. He quickly ran to her side. "Are…you ok?"

The dragoness below him turned towards him and gasped. "Wh..what are you doing here? How did you…?"

Before they said anything further, the pedestal around them shook violently. An evil cackle could be heard through the darkness.

"_Well, well, well. What do we have here? What do you think you're doing in this place, boy?"_

"I could ask you the same question…Malefor," Matt said. He quickly brought back his Keyblade to his side. "Leave Cynder alone!"

_And lose my most loyal servant? I think not!_

Suddenly, dark shadows started to creep up from around the pedestal. They slowly began to sink their way towards the duo.

"Oh man…," Matt mumbled.

_It is pointless to fight me, boy! Cynder is mine! _

Matt grunted. "We'll see about that!" He quickly got back down to her side. "Cynder, listen to me! You can't just let Malefor in like this! You have to fight him!"

The dragoness looked him back in the eye. "I…can't…" Her green eyes started to shade back to black. "I'm…not strong enough…"

"Yes, you are!" Matt yelled back. "I've seen you break his control before! I know you can!" He instantly had an idea. "Think of Spyro! Think of how much he means to you!"

"Spyro…?" she asked weakly.

Suddenly, from all around the duo, flashes began to occur. They were in Cynder's point of view, and they were all of Spyro. Matt remembered several of the moments from the first two games. _These must be her memories…_

"That's it," Matt said. "You can do it…"

"_Enough! You cannot fight me, Cynder! You will obey me..even if I have to take out your soul to do it!"_

Matt and Cynder both gasped. The shadows were creeping even closer to them, and they'd arrive within a few feet.

"Oh no…," Cynder cried. She looked down. "It's all over…why should I even fight back? I have no life! I never did!"

"That's not true!" Matt yelled. He grabbed her face and stared her in the eye. "You have a life…and it's up to you how to live it, Cynder. No one can tell you how to do it for you."

Cynder then shed a tear. "So what? It's not like I have anyone…"

"Oh really? Think again!" Matt closed his eyes and then started to glow with light. Soon, the images around them began to change.

Cynder could only gasp at what she saw next. There was Spyro…and herself in her normal form…embracing. They were then sitting along the balcony laughing with one another. One more scene showed the two running up to each other…and sharing a kiss.

"Wha…what is this?" Cynder asked. A tear formed in her eye.

"These…are my memories," Matt then said. "Of you two together."

"Spyro…loved me? Me?"

"Yes…he always did…even when he came for you at the Well of Souls. And if he knew he wouldn't make it, I know Spyro would still go anyway…just like I know you would do the same for him."

"He…loved me…" Cynder closed her eyes and cried softly. "He loved me…oh Spyro…" Suddenly, Cynder began to glow with a piercing light. The shadows around her began to creep away back from whence they came.

_What? This…is impossible._ _You can't resist me! I am eternal! _

Suddenly, Matt was blinded by the light. He covered his eyes to shield himself as he heard Malefor scream out in rage and agony…

* * *

The next thing he knew, Matt was lying with his back on the ground. He heard his name being called out as he opened his eyes to see Selema standing over him.

"Matt…oh thank the Ancestors you're alright!"

"Yeah…I'm fine…" The young human answered back. He slowly lifted himself up.

"What happened?" Selema asked. "What did you do?"

"I'll explain later." Matt looked over to find the shadows that had once surrounded Cynder were now gone. Instead, she was lying peacefully on the ground. "Alright…she did it…"

"Huh?"

"Cynder's going to be alright, Selema. I'm sure of that."

"What…what did you just do again?"

"I'll explain it you someday." Matt and Selema then noticed Cynder stir and then awaken to join them.

The black dragoness could only stare at the young human with her jaw dropped as far as it could go. "What…what did you do?"

Matt smiled. "I didn't really do anything. It was all you, Cynder."

"I…I don't know what to say…" The truth was, Cynder had never felt better before. She couldn't feel the presence of Malefor anymore.

"You don't need to say anything," Matt replied.

"Right," Selema said. "You're our friend, Cynder. That's all that matters now."

"Matt…Selema…thank you…"

Suddenly, a large cry was heard from behind. The trio looked around and saw several trails of smoke coming from that direction.

"Oh no…," Cynder said. "The apes…they're coming!"

Selema gasped while Matt cursed under his breath. "How do they know where we are?" Selema asked.

Cynder growled. "Malefor…" She tried to stand up, but found it more difficult than she thought. "He must have given the apes our location…through me."

Matt grunted. "How many of them are coming?" he asked.

Cynder's eyes widened. "All of them…"

"Oh no!" Selema gasped.

"Then I guess we have no time to waste," Matt exclaimed. He hurriedly rushed over and proceeded to lift Cynder onto her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Cynder asked, a look of shock on her face. "You can't possibly outrun them!"

"We have to try!" Matt yelled. "It's the only chance we've got. C'mon Selema!" He then sprinted off through the forest, with the pink dragoness in hot pursuit.

Meanwhile from afar, Malefor couldn't help but laugh as he watched the party run. "Ignorant fools! You will not escape me!"

Matt and Selema ran as hard and fast as they could for the nearby mountains. Cynder held on to the young human as best she could. She could also hear the apes drawing ever closer. The black dragoness looked over at Matt's face, which was full of determination.

Deep down, Cynder knew that they couldn't outrun Malefor, yet alone the apes. She had to do something…

Suddenly, she knew it. "Stop!" she yelled out loud, causing Matt and Selema to come to a halt.

"What is it?" Matt asked.

"Listen to me, Matt. There isn't much time." She turned to Selema. "Take Matt and get out of here! Flying is the only way you'll outrun the apes."

"What?" Selema asked. "You can't be serious?"

"I'm dead serious. Listen, I'm only slowing you both down. If you leave me here, I promise I'll give you the time you need in order to escape."

Matt could only stare into his friend's eyes. He could tell that she was dead serious about this. Suddenly, he knew what she had in mind.

"No…," Matt mumbled. He shook his head furiously. "No!"

"Matt, it's the only way. You know it."

"NO!" Matt yelled. "We already lost you once. I'm not about to lose you again! Forget it!"

"Cynder," Selema whimpered. "Please…come with us. We need you."

Cynder wouldn't budge. "No…you don't." She turned away from the duo. "I've done terrible things throughout my life…things I can never take back…no matter how much I want to." She then looked at Matt. "Matt…you remind me so much of Spyro. Just like him, you gave me another chance. For that, I'm forever grateful to you." She paused, her breath shaky. "Please…let me do something right for a change. Let me do this for you both now. Please…I'm begging you…"

Matt and Selema looked at each other. He could see the confusion in her eyes, and the same for him.

"Matt …," Selema whimpered.

Matt closed his eyes, his head falling forward. "Her hearts decided…we can't change that." He then opened his eyes and stared deep into Cynder's. "I give you my word…I'll make things right. Even…even if I go through Malefor himself."

"You will, Matt," Cynder said. "I have faith in you…and you too Selema."

The pink dragoness gasped. Her eyes began to flood with oncoming tears. "Cynder…"

"Promise me you'll take care of him, Selema. Can you do that?"

Selema sniffed hard. "I will…"

"Thank you…both of you…now go!"

Without hesitating any further, Selema flapped her wings until she was hovering in the air. She then offered her lower paws to Matt, who took them and felt himself be lifted off the ground. The pink dragoness then began to fly as fast as she could towards the mountains.

"Good luck! Both of you!" Cynder yelled. She then turned back and sprinted as fast as she could.

It didn't take her very long before the black dragoness reached the first wave of incoming apes. They skidded to a halt when they found their former leader before them.

"Lord…Cynder?" One of them began to ask. "Is that you…?"

Cynder closed her eyes. "No…," she said before looking to the sky. "You took away my life…and made me into what I am today! But now…now I will obey no more!" Cynder then began to glow with the powers of Convexity, slowly gathering and beginning to form a sphere of energy around her.

"What…what is she doing?" An ape yelled.

"Run you fools!" Another yelled. While some began to run back towards Warfang, others just sat in terror as they watched the energy sphere continue to grow and grow.

Cynder cringed and screamed out in pain. She knew what was upon her, but it didn't matter. Within seconds, she was ready to unleash her final attack.

When she was, the black dragoness closed her eyes and shed a single tear. "Spyro…," she whispered. "Forgive me…"

Selema was flying as fast as she could towards the mountains with Matt in tow. He knew that Cynder said she'd buy them time…and deep down she had meant it.

Suddenly, a bright flash blinded them both. They both turned and gasped before they saw a massive explosion of Convexity energy rock the entire forest, sending a shockwave across anywhere near it.

Matt and Selema screamed as they were hurdled through the air. If they had been any closer, they would have been caught in the crossfire. The dragoness somehow managed to keep them both in air at the time.

When it was over, Matt looked back and waited for the smoke to clear. He gasped when he saw a massive crater in the middle of the forest. It was as if there was never one to begin with. Anything in the blast radius didn't have a chance of surviving…

Selema then turned back as she continued to keep them airborne before she too gasped at the destruction. Tears began to flow from her eyes.

"No…," she mumbled.

Even Matt couldn't keep himself composed. His lips trembled as he too began to let his emotions out. _She sacrificed herself…to save us…_

Matt closed his eyes and turned away, unable to look any longer. Tears rolled off his cheeks towards the ground below.

"Cynder…," he whispered. "I'm sorry…"

* * *

_**I bet most of you have this look on your faces now... :0 Please...I'd rather not get any serious flames for this. Just know that it had to happen.**_

_**So it looks like somehow that Gaul managed to kill Spyro at the Well of Souls...but how did he do that? Also, what can Matt and Selema do now? Can they even carry on? Find out next chapter!**_

_**Peace out,**_

_**Biz**_


	25. Snow Way Out!

_**Hey everyone! I'm back once more to entertain your imaginations! :) A lot of you took Cynder's death very well, and I'll admit it was harder to do than you think. However, the story must go on! **_

_**If any of you watch a certain anime, you might know by the chapter title what's coming in this one...**_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

Selema flied on for about a half hour before she and Matt decided to find a place to set down for the night. They were both exhausted physically and mentally. When they finally touched down, both of them collapsed.

Matt still was trying to comprehend what had just occurred. His eyes were dry and puffy from his suffering. He'd failed…he'd failed Spyro…and now he'd failed Cynder.

"Damn it!" Matt yelled out. He pounded his fist into the ground. "DAMN IT!"

Selema couldn't blame him. She too felt miserable over Cynder's death. She hadn't known the dragoness for very long, but back when they first met she had been very kind. And now…now she was gone…

After letting Matt cool off, the dragoness came to his side. "Matt…wha…what are we going to do now?"

The young human turned towards her slowly. "I…I don't know." He hung his head back down.

"Matt…I know Cynder was your friend…and I'm sorry." She placed a wing around her friend to try and comfort him.

"Thanks, Selema," Matt replied. They stayed like that for a few minutes before they began to search for a place to sleep for the night…

* * *

Back in his lair, Malefor was steaming. Never had he been this angry before…not even when the Guardians had banished him from the dragon city.

"CURSE YOU CYNDER!" he roared out. His greatest servant had not only taken herself out of the picture, but a large portion of his army as well. Her words to him had stung as well.

_How could this have happened? _He thought. _Everything was perfect…until those two showed up._

The surprising thing was…he had known that something like this might happen. His former servant, Gaul, had warned him of something like this before…but at that time the Dark Master hadn't thought any differently and carried out his plans as usual.

_That boy…_ Malefor thought. _He is more of a threat than I ever imagined. Even Cynder could not defeat him…and to make things worse…he turned her against me again!_

The very thought caused the Master to launch a random Convexity beam out the window in frustration. He felt a little better after doing this.

_Hmm…what should I do now? The pink dragon could of great use to me…but I'd rather wipe that scum human off the face of my world more!_

Malefor then grinned an evil grin. "Very well," he said to himself. "Maybe it's time to show this boy what a purple dragon can really do!" He then closed his eyes and focused his energy around him. When his eyes reopened, they were glowing with a shade of blue.

"Now then boy…," he cackled. "Let's see you survive_ this_!"

* * *

Matt and Selema walked along the mountain path in search of a possible place to rest and regroup. The young human couldn't deny just how exhausted he really was. No one could blame either of them, having not eaten or slept for a given amount of time, and that didn't include their encounters with the apes and Dark Cynder.

While they searched, Matt suddenly felt very strange. It was as though a feeling of worry and anxiety had washed over his body. He looked up to the gray sky and could only watch as the clouds began to swirl and blacken.

"Uh oh…," Matt said out loud.

"What is it?" Selema asked.

As if to answer her question, a large blast of cold air greeted the human and dragoness, making them both shiver. Also, from out of the sky, snow was beginning to fall.

"Darn it," Matt grunted. "Looks like the weather's going to change for the worst. C'mon Selema, we've got to find shelter and soon."

"O…ok," The pink dragoness's teeth began to chatter with the cold wind.

Over the next several minutes, the two continued on in their search to no avail. With each passing second, it seemed as though the temperature continued to drop. The cold wind and snow came howling down without mercy.

Matt couldn't help but begin to shiver. The only clothing he had now was his single t-shirt, shorts, and shoes. His vest would have helped a little bit, but he'd already used it to bandage up Cynder's wounds.

_Where did this come all of a sudden?_ Matt thought. He looked to the sky and could think of only one thing. _Malefor…he must be behind this! _

The young human looked behind him and saw Selema slowly walking along with him. She too was shivering profusively, even worse than he was.

Matt then gasped when he realized it. _She's cold blooded…she won't last out here long if I don't do something!_

The teen quickly looked on for the next few minutes as he tried to find some sort of cover, but there was none in sight. The weather had quickly elevated to blizzard-like conditions, with snow beginning to cover the ground in front of them. This kind of environment was putting the storm back in the Dalmatians' world to shame. Matt was beginning to feel more and more numb and frostbitten with each passing second.

Suddenly, he could hear a thud coming from behind…

Matt gasped and whipped around to find Selema had fallen forward into the snow. "Selema!" He yelled, rushing to her side. "Are…you ok?" he said between chattering teeth.

"M…m…matt…," she said weakly. "So….so…c…c..cold..."

Matt put his hands to her body. She was as cold as ice…and she was barely shivering. A horrifying thought came to his mind.

_Hypothermia…_

"Damn it!" Matt muttered. "Hold on, Selema!" Ignoring the pain in his frostbitten hands, he hoisted the dragoness into his arms. She was a little heavy, but he could handle it.

Matt continued forward as far as he could. He was beginning to lose focus with each second, his breathing becoming more and more rapid.

_Please…please…let there be something…_

As if answering his prayers, Matt soon came upon a small cave in the side of the mountain. Using as much energy as he could, he moved himself and Selema inside the small cave.

The cave itself only went about ten feet in, but it would provide a lot of cover from the winds. It wasn't much…but it would have to do.

Matt quickly set Selema down on the ground and examined her further. Her wings were now frozen in place as well as most of her scales. He felt her heartbeat…and it was very weak.

"Oh no...," Matt said weakly. He wasn't doing much better, but he still couldn't give up. He summoned his Keyblade to his hand. "Fi…firaga!" He said. His Keyblade sparked a small flame, but it quickly died out. "Firaga!" he said louder, but it was the same result. "Damn it…," he said. He was too exhausted to do any more magic.

Matt picked up Selema in his arms. "Selema…," he said. "Please…hang on…" Her eyes fluttered open and closed. She wasn't going to last much longer…and neither was he. It was still cold enough inside for them to freeze.

_No…it can't end this way…_ Matt thought. _Not like this…it just can't…_ He looked down at Selema, whose breathing had begun to shorten. "Selema…," he said weakly. "I can't lose you too…not now…" There was only one thing he could think of that could help her now…

Wincing in agony, Matt slowly took off his t-shirt, moaning as his skin was exposed to the elements. He did his best to wrap it around Selema's head, which needed protection the most.

Selema was barely aware of what was happening, but she was shocked at what occurred next. "M…ma…tt…," she breathed.

"It's ok, Selema," Matt replied. He then pulled the dragoness as close to him as possible. He cringed as her cold scales made contact with his body, making him groan in agony.

"Wh…at...ar…you…doing?" she asked.

"Sharing…my…body heat…with you," Matt replied. He wrapped himself completely around the cold dragoness. "It…it'll be ok, Selema. We'll…make it…somehow…"

"I…m…sor..ry…"

"Sh…," Matt said back. "Look…I know it'll be hard, but I need you to stay awake with me right now. Can you do that for me?"

"I'll…tr…try…"

"Just listen to my voice ok…just listen to me…I have an idea…while we wait..." He could only pray for a miracle at this point, but he was determined not for Selema or himself to die here and now. The teen then thought of a way to stay focused and awake at the same time.

Matt decided to try and sing a song from back home. He wasn't the best at it, but it was the only thing he could think of at this point.

"_You know a dream is like a river…_," he started. "_Ever changing as it flows. And the dreamer's just a vessel…that must follow where it goes…trying to learn from what's behind you…and never knowing what's in store makes each day a constant battle…just to stay between the shore…"_

Selema did what she was told as they layed freezing together in the cave. He went for as long as he could, singing every song he could think of to stay focused.

* * *

Back in his lair, Malefor soon decided to stop using his powers. His eyes returned to their normal shade of yellow. He would have kept going, but he couldn't use the power for too long as it would drain him.

"There…," he said. "I don't think those two will be bothering me anytime soon. Not even your weapon could save you now, human."

* * *

Selema didn't know when it had happened, but she had eventually fallen asleep.

When she awakened, she found herself not feeling cold, but warm instead. She looked around and found herself in a strange looking place. The walls were surrounded with books, and a large crystal ball stood in the center.

"Where…where am I?" Selema asked. "Hello! Is anyone there? Matt?"

"Hello, Selema," came a voice out of nowhere. The pink dragoness gasped and found herself in the presence of a much larger dragon who was teal blue in color. He had a small amulet like thing around his neck.

"Who…who are you?" she asked.

"I am the Chronicler," he replied back. "It is here that I watch and observe the history of our kind. As it all unfolds, I write it down."

Selema looked around again and asked another question. "Am…am I dead?"

The Chronicler smiled. "Far from it, young dragon. Were it not for the actions of your friend, there is no doubt you'd have perished."

Selema gasped. "Oh no! Matt! Tell me! Is he alright?"

"That I cannot be sure…but we have much more important matters to discuss young one." He cleared his throat before continuing on. "I have brought you here before me because you and your friend must come see me in person."

"In person?"

"Yes. I reside at the White Isles. I understand that you do not know how to get there, but with my help, the knowledge of it's location will be available to you."

Selema's eyes widened. "Really? How will I know where to go?"

The Chronicler chuckled. "You will see soon enough. Now then, it is time you return…"

"But wait! I don't understand! What are Matt and I supposed to…?" However, Selema couldn't finish her statement in time as she had blacked out once more.

* * *

**_Looks like Malefor's pulling out all the stops to try to get these two killed huh? Can they both survive the night? What did the Chronicler want with Selema? Can he help them?_**

**_Also, I will give a hundred virtual cookies to those who correctly guess the song that Matt was singing there. I know...I know...first time I've ever used a song in a fic. But just know it doesn't belong to me now matter how much I wish it did...:(_**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	26. A Mother's Sacrifice

**_Hey everyone! Another installment for you! Let's just say...well...you may or make not like what you see. You'll know what I mean soon._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

The next thing Selema knew, she was awoken to another sudden chill. She shuddered as she opened her eyes once more. It was cold…but not as much as before.

"Uh…," Selema groaned as she tried to move. It took a minute, but she eventually made it on to her four legs. "What…happened?" She asked herself. Suddenly, she remembered. "Matt!"

Selema turned and found Matt lying right next to her wearing nothing but his shorts and shoes. To her great relief, he was still alive…but barely. His breathing seemed somewhat strained, his skin very pale.

"Oh no…," Selema moaned. She nuzzled his side to try and awaken him, but was met only by his moans and groans. He mentioned her name once or twice, but even that wasn't enough. Matt was too weak…especially after using up nearly all of his energy to keep both himself and Selema alive for the night.

Selema quickly moved to the mouth of the cave and peered outside. To her enjoyment, the sun was now shining brightly. Somehow, the storm had passed on. She returned back to Matt's side and began to think.

_What do I do now?_ She thought. Matt obviously was too weak to do anything at the moment. She knew he needed to get his energy back, and that meant he had to eat. She also needed to eat as well as mentioned by her own stomach growling.

"Wait…," Selema thought out loud. _How am I even standing? I could barely move earlier. Did the Chronicler do something to me?_

The dragoness had her thoughts broken with her friend's stirring. Selema moved over and slowly removed Matt's shirt off her head and somehow got it into his pocket. She knew what she had to do.

"Hang on, Matt," she said. The pink dragoness then slowly and carefully moved herself under Matt's body. She then lifted herself and the young human up over onto her back. She winced under the human's weight, but found it wasn't as bad as she thought. "Ok…here we go…," she said.

Selema then went outside and then lifted herself into the sky. The air was still cold, but not nearly as cold as before. Soon, the dragoness was flying throughout the land with Matt in tow. She looked down over the landscape as best she could, but found no signs of civilization.

"What do I do?" she asked herself. "If I don't think of something fast, Matt might not make it."

Suddenly, a thought came into her mind. Selema couldn't explain it, but she felt as though she should fly more north, towards the sea. Why she had the thought she didn't know, but for some reason Selema felt it was the best route to take.

The pink dragoness flew on for a time until she eventually reached the sea. It didn't look any different from before…Malefor hadn't changed it completely.

However, instead of landing on the beach, Selema instead decided to fly onwards…over the sea. It didn't make sense to her, but she felt if she kept going something good would happen. Matt still hadn't woken up yet, so she really couldn't discuss it with him either. So fly on she did…

After what felt like hours, Selema wondered how long she could possibly keep going. To her amazement though, the dragoness gasped when she found what looked like a small island.

_I should go there…_she thought. _Maybe there is something to eat down there._

Selema looked behind and found Matt still out cold. She then slowly and carefully came down onto the beach and looked around. It looked deserted for the most part, but Selema was shocked to find that the trees were still standing here. There was also the sound of birds chirping the distance as well.

The pink dragoness chuckled to herself before she snapped back to the current situation. She lowered herself back down and gently rolled the young human off her back, with Matt now lying in the sand.

"I'll be right back," Selema told him. "I promise." The dragoness then sprinted off into the mainland…

* * *

Matt didn't know how long he had been out, but he slowly began to come to. He groaned as he struggled to open his eyes, his body feeling as heavy as lead.

_What…happened…?_ He thought. The teen expected to feel cold…but to his surprise he actually felt warm. He wasn't lying on stone…but on sand.

Suddenly, he heard a voice. "Matt…wake up…"

Matt opened his eyelids and found a certain pink dragoness staring back down at him. "Selema…?" he asked. "Is…that you…?"

Selema nodded from her view over the top of him. "Yeah…it's me."

"Where…are we?"

"Well…I'm not really sure where we are…but I think we're safe for now." Matt watched as Selema moved over and put a large leaf to his face. "Drink this…" The dragoness poured a small stream of water into his mouth, which he swallowed immediately. Never had water tasted so good.

"Thanks…," Matt said back. He slowly lifted himself up into a sitting position.

Selema then gave him what looked like a hunk of raw meat from an unknown animal. "Here…I bet you're hungry too."

A loud growl from Matt's stomach answered that question easily. The young human took it and looked it over.

"Just eat it, Matt. You need your strength."

Matt sighed. "Whatever you say…" He then went and devoured the meat slowly, ignoring the odd taste and texture. "Did you…catch this?"

Selema nodded with a look of satisfaction on her face. "Yeah…it's weird. I don't know when it happened, but I suddenly rememberd I knew how to hunt game."

"Oh…that's good. Maybe your memory is starting to come back."

"Yeah…I guess. I still don't remember much beyond that."

"Alright…" Matt then thought of something. "Wait a minute…how are we even here? The last thing I remember was you nearly freezing to death."

"Um…" Selema's eyes were filled with confusion. "I'm not sure…I just woke up…and got us out of there. I flew on for a little while…and found this place. It was as if I just knew where and what to do."

"Huh?" Matt asked. He shook his head. Something didn't add up in his mind.

"Matt…have you ever heard of the Chronicler?"

The teen's eyes widened. "Yeah! How do you know who that is?"

"I…saw him…in a dream. At least I thought it was a dream."

Matt stopped her. "Were you in a large room filled with books? Did an old dragon greet you?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

Matt gasped. He looked to the ground. "Of course…," he muttered. "Why didn't I think of it before?" He looked at Selema again. "What did he say? Tell me!"

"Uh…something about coming to see him…at a place called the White Isles. He said I would know the way…whatever that meant."

Matt didn't know either, but at least he know knew a solution. Maybe the Chronicler knew something that could help them fix things…or at least stop Malefor. "Ok…," he said. "Let's get going!" The teen tried to stand, but Selema kept him down.

"Shouldn't we rest here first?" Selema asked. "You need to recover, Matt."

"I feel fine…"

"Well, I don't think you are! I'm sorry, but that's the truth!" Selema sighed.

Matt was silent for a few moments before making a decision. "Alright…we can stay here for the night." He couldn't help but grin at the dragoness. "I guess you are learning something after all."

"Well…you are a good teacher." Selema paused a moment. "Matt…thanks for saving me back there…"

"Don't mention it," Matt replied. "I should be thanking you, Selema. You're the one who brought me here."

"Well I wasn't just going to leave you behind," Selema replied. "Right now, all we have is each other."

"Right," Matt nodded. "We do make a pretty good team, don't we?"

Selema giggled. "Yeah, we do."

The two then ate and drank for a few more minutes before Matt noticed that the sun had begun to set. Selema had given him back his shirt, so he quickly threw it on.

"You go ahead and rest, Selema," Matt said. He had used his fire spell to get a blaze going. "You earned it."

The dragoness yawned in response. "Ok…what about you?"

"I'll stand watch for a little bit…then I'll probably sleep too."

Selema nodded before curling up a few feet away from Matt and lying her head between her paws. She was asleep in minutes.

Matt could only stare at the dragoness for a few minutes as she snoozed away. Had he really only known her for a few days? They'd been through so much together already. The Keyblader was amazed at how much she'd grown since he'd saved her from that camp.

_I'm glad you're still with me Selema…_Matt thought. _I just wish there was more I could do to help you even more..._

As he was about to close his eyes, Matt then saw Selema began to stir in her sleep. She groaned and rolled around in anguish. Curiously, he crawled over to her side.

"Selema…?" he asked. Matt knelt down and touched her cheek. "Selema?"

Suddenly, the teen felt a surge of energy go through his body, making him gasp. Suddenly, he heard a voice in his mind…and it sounded familiar.

_Selema…it is time for you to remember who you are…_

Matt gasped. All he could see was white…he knew no more.

* * *

The young Keyblader reawakened moments later. He looked down…and saw himself staring at the ground from a hundred feet in the air.

"Ah!" Matt screamed. He cringed as he prepared to fall…but he never did. "Huh?" The teen found he was levitating above in the sky. How he was doing it…he did not know.

"Where…where am I?" Matt asked himself out loud. The forest below looked normal enough. Was he back in the present?

Suddenly, Matt heard a roar coming from behind him. He whirled around and stared wide eyed at what he saw. "No way…"

Coming straight at him was an adult dragoness. She was colored deep blue with a lighter blue underbelly. She had four horns atop her head that resembled Cynder's horns. Her blue eyes were filled with terror.

"Aurona…?" Matt asked himself. He then looked again and found that the dragoness was carrying something in her arms. It was a small pink hatchling that looked even more familiar. "Is that…Selema?"

The teen tried to get Aurona's attention as she flew rapidly past him, but she didn't even give him a glance. "Hey!" he yelled. "What are you…?" He then heard several loud roars.

Hot on Aurona's tail were a large group of apes riding their dreadwings. They all carried bows and arrows and were wearing shades of armor.

Matt grunted and threw himself into their path. "STOP!" he yelled. "Leave them alone!" Unfortunately, like Aurona, the apes didn't even give him a glance. The young human then tried to call his Keyblade, but it wouldn't come. He cringed as the apes were about to strike…but they never did. Instead, they just phased through him and continued on their hunt.

"What in the heck is going on?" Matt asked. He then remembered what Ignitus had shown him back at his sanctuary. "Oh no…," he mumbled. Reacting on instinct, the teen did the only thing he could think of and glided through the air.

To his surprise, Matt was faster than he though. Within a minute, he'd managed to pass the apes and catch up to the speeding Aurona. He then heard a voice…

"Mommy…," said the younger Selema. "I'm scared…" She sounded distressed and anxious.

"Just close your eyes, sweetheart," Aurona said. "Don't look back." The adult grunted as she stressed herself to fly faster.

Matt could only watch in horror as Aurona couldn't seem to shake off the apes in pursuit of her. "This is bad…," he said to himself. The teen turned back and saw several apes prepare their bows. He could only watch as they then were released into the sky and headed straight towards the ice dragoness.

The teen gasped. "LOOK OUT!" he cried, knowing they couldn't hear them anyway. Matt then watched as Aurona was struck by the arrows in each wing. The dragoness roared in pain.

"We've got her now!" One of the apes yelled.

Aurona tried to flap her wings, but found the arrows had rendered them useless. She grimaced in agony.

"Oh no!" Matt yelled.

"Mommy!" little Selema cried.

"Hold on, Selema!"Aurona bellowed. She curled herself into a ball and held her daughter as close to her body as possible. She then fell to the earth below and landed with a crash through several trees.

"NOOO!" Matt yelled. He hurried to the ground and waited for the dust to clear. When it did, he found Aurona lying on her side with her body covered in dirt and debris. At closer look, she was still breathing.

As he got closer, Matt breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the young Selema standing on all fours. Her mother had taken most of the damage from the fall.

Aurona's breathing was very labored. She coughed a few times before checking on her daughter. "Selema…are you alright?"

"I'm ok…but you're hurt…" Selema looked over and found the damage to her mother extreme.

Aurona heard the sounds of the apes drawing nearer. "Selema…listen to me. I want you to go and find a good hiding spot."

"Huh?" Selema asked. "But…but what about you?"

"Don't worry about me. Go and hide right now, dear! Hurry!"

"Mommy…" Selema cried. Her eyes began to fill with tears.

"Just know sweetheart…I love you with all my heart…and I always will…" Aurona mumbled. "NOW GO!"

Selema gasped. She then nodded and turned away. Looking around as fast as she could, the young pink hatchling climbed into one of the biggest tree trunks she could find and wiggled her way inside. She used a hole in the side to keep an eye on her mother.

Matt watched on and saw Aurona staring at her daughter in her place. "Forgive me, Selema," she said. The adult then closed her eyes. Matt looked over and found Selema glowing with a blue energy before she was immediately frozen in place.

As soon as it had happened, the apes suddenly emerged from the bushes. They all had their weapons raised and were on alert. They crept closer and closer to the downed dragoness.

One ape began to stride near Aurona in order to finish her, but a loud voice stopped him. "STOP! DO NOT KILL HER!"

Matt whirled around to find what looked like the leader emerge from the shrubs as well. He was easily one of the larger ones and wore the kind of armor that indicated he was their leader. He also held a long staff with a crystal at the end.

"No way…it's…it's…," Matt said. "…Gaul." At least…it looked like a younger version of Gaul…

The Ape King walked slowly towards Aurona. He ordered his men to stand guard over her while he got in postion. He lowered down and got in her face.

"So…," he growled. "You thought you could outrun us, didn't you? You should know by now that we are not to be trified with…dragon."

Aurona roared out in anger before several apes slammed into her injured wings, making her cry out in pain. Matt yelled out loud as well for them to stop, but it was no use. There was nothing he could do.

"Stay quiet…," Gaul growled. "This is a fight you've already lost. Now tell me…where is the hatchling?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…," Aurona replied.

"You lie! We saw you carrying it with our own eyes! Where is it?"

Aurona narrowed her eyes. "Go to hell where you belong…"

Gaul chuckled. "You dragons are an ignorant race. It's no wonder you all will soon perish under our Master's will."

"Your Master is insane!" Aurona yelled. "I can promise you this, you monster! You and your Master will never rule this land. One day…one day you will fall."

Gaul paused before grinning. "I give you one last chance, dragon. Tell us where the hatchling hides!"

Aurona winced in pain. Matt could tell she was suffering a great deal. She didn't reply back, refusing to even mention Selema's name or presence.

"Very well…," Gaul then spoke after a minute of slience. "We will find her though…with or without your help. It's only a matter of time." He then unsheathed his sword from his belt and raised it high above his head. "Until then…"

Aurona then did something strange. She looked to Selema's hiding spot before looking right at _him. _Her blue eyes stared into his brown.

Matt remembered what she had told her in his dream. _Right before I died, I could only think of Selema. I prayed to the Ancestors that she would be safe." She paused. "And then…I had a vision…Of you…and how you would save Selema's life and give her reason to live…_

_Can she see me? _Matt thought. _Is this even possible?_

Matt looked over to where Selema was hiding, then back at Aurona. He could feel her eye boring into his soul. He then remembered her request from the dream. _Please…watch over my daughter, Matt_

The teen looked back and nodded back to Aurona. "I will…," he mouthed.

The moment was broken by Gaul's roar of anger. Matt quickly shut his eyes before he heard the sound of metal piercing flesh…and a gasp of agony rang out into the forest around them. A loud battle cry was issued from the apes as they acknowledged their deed.

"Now go you mongrels!" Gaul yelled. "Find the hatchling…or you'll end up like her."

Matt grunted at the comment, but kept his eyes closed for the moment. He heard the footsteps of the apes hurrying off in several directions, even some running past him…until it was slient again.

Only then did Matt open his eyes again. A part of him wished he hadn't. Gaul had stabbed Aurona straight into the chest, and now the dragoness was lying in a pool of her own blood. Her eyes were now closed to the world forever…

Matt was speechless. No words could describe what he was seeing before him now. However, a small cry had broken his thought.

The teen looked over and found little Selema had been freed from the ice block, the magic having worn off. The little dragoness walked slowly towards Aurona, her mouth wide open and trembling uncontrollably.

"Selema…," Matt mumbled.

The little one got up next to the adult's head. "Mommy?" she asked. "Mommy? Wake up!" She nuzzled her mother's cheek. "Please wake up! Please!" Her eyes were soon flooded with tears. "Mommy!" she yelled out loud. Selema then rested herself next to her fallen mother and continued to bawl.

Matt could only stand and watch. It only took a second for him to start tearing as well. He couldn't believe what he'd just witnessed. It was something he wished he'd never see…

Summoning all his strength, the teen moved himself towards the weeping dragoness. Sadness had enveloped him and made his heart weigh down with emotion. He had known this pain as well…the day he'd lost his own mother.

Matt reached out towards Selema in a attempt to comfort her, but was once again met by a blinding flash of light.

* * *

The next thing he knew, Matt was back on the beach. He had returned to his spot…and he wasn't alone. The teen looked over and found that Selema had awoken…and was crying just as uncontrollably as her younger counterpart.

Matt didn't hesitate to get next to her side. "Selema…?" he asked.

The pink dragoness looked at him with red, puffy eyes. "They…they killed her. They killed my mother…and my father. They're gone…they're all gone…"

Matt reached out and placed a hand on her head. "Selema…I'm so sorry."

"I…I'm all alone…," Selema whimpered. "I have no one…"

"That's not true…," Matt then said. It was taking everything he had to hold himself together. "You have me, Selema. I'm here for you…"

Selema then threw herself into the young human, who accepted her with open arms. She continued to cry and soak his shirt with her tears. "Thank you, Matt."

Matt then held her close as he too wept for her loss and his own. He had wanted for the dragoness to regain her lost memories…but it seemed that they had come with a price.

* * *

** _Man...poor Selema. I don't know about you, but this wasn't easy to write either. Can either of them go forward? What lies ahead?_**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	27. The Truth Revealed

**_Hey everyone! I'm back again! Like one reviewer said, I believe this chapter will be well worth the wait for you guys. Let's just say it's gonna get interesting..._**

**_Before I start, I actually want to apolgize to the only reviewer, Schizm1, who correctly guessed the song Matt sang two chapters ago (The River by Garth Brooks). For that, here are your cookies. *gives cookies to Schizm1* They're chocolate chip, my favorite. :) Also, the chapter title 'Snow Way Out' came from the Pokemon anime for anyone who guessed that as well._**

**_Anyways...here we go!_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I do however own the characters Matt and Selema. They are mine and mine alone._**

* * *

The previous night had been a long and grueling one for both Matt and Selema. Sleep wasn't easy to come by to say the least.

When the sun finally did come up over the horizon, Matt was the first to get up. He let Selema sleep a little longer so he could think.

"How could things have gotten so bad?" he asked out loud. The young human narrowed his eyes. "We have to set this right…we just have to." Matt hadn't forgotten the promise he made to Cynder, and he'd be damned if he didn't keep it.

Selema slowly stirred and awakened behind him. Matt walked over to her side. "How are you holding up?" he asked.

The pink dragoness sighed. "I don't know…," she replied. "It's all so…so terrible." Selema turned to look him in the face. "What do we do now?"

"Well…," Matt replied. "I think there's only one thing we can do. You said the Chronicler wanted to see us?" Selema nodded. "Then I guess that's where we need to go. He may be the only one who can help us at this point." He then went over and picked up his torn and tattered t-shirt and slipped it on.

"How though?" Selema asked. "We don't even know where to…" She then stopped.

"_Yes. I reside at the White Isles. I understand that you do not know how to get there, but with my help, the knowledge of it's location will be available to you."_

_Selema's eyes widened. "Really? How will I know where to go?"_

_The Chronicler chuckled. "You will see soon enough. Now then, it is time you return…"_

"Wait a minute…," Selema said. "He said…he said something about how I'd know where to go."

Matt raised a brow. "Are you sure? He really said that?"

"Yeah…"

Matt thought it over a little more before he nodded in acknowledgment. "Ok, then. Do you think you're up to flying today?"

Selema hesitated for a few moments before she gave him a firm nod. "Yeah…I can do it."

The two quickly had a meal of whatever they could find before the time came to finally leave the island. Selema hovered in the air before she lowered her paws to Matt, who took them in stride. As soon as they were in the air, they were both on their way…

* * *

Malefor had just finished his nightly rest when he came back over the ledge of his lair to overview his world.

However, something caught his drift. _No…_ He thought. _It can't be…_

It was. The Dark Master closed his eyes and looked out into the world. To his great surprise, he saw the pink dragoness and the human flying over the ocean. They were still alive!

The giant purple dragon roared out in frustration. "They just don't know how to die!" He screamed.

After calming down, he tried to think about the situation. Malefor then realized that he was relatively safe for the most part. The two didn't have anywhere left to run…or did they?

"The Chronicler…," Malefor growled. _He could have the knowledge they seek…_ "That must not happen!"

Malefor knew deep down that there was no way his forces would reach the White Isles in time. It would take them days to cross the sea. There was only one thing left for him to do.

"It's time I paid that old fool a visit...," the dark ruler sneered.

* * *

Matt held on as tight as he could as Selema flew on towards their destination…at least he hoped they were. To be safe, he had stored as much fruit as he could in his pockets in case they couldn't find any land.

The pink dragoness had been very silent for the most part as she flew. At first Matt had thought it was because she was concentrating on flying…but then he was wondering maybe she hadn't fully recovered from her sudden memory recovery. He himself hadn't taken it well…so Matt couldn't even to begin to comprehend how she must have felt.

After what felt like endless hours, Matt was beginning to lose patience. He had never been to the White Isles, but he'd known it would take them some time to get there. He silently said a prayer that Selema would somehow make it…

"Selema?" Matt suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah?"

"You've been really quiet so far. Is something wrong?"

Selema sighed. "I…I don't know. It's...just so crazy with what's been happening to me lately…"

Matt nodded from his position below. "I know what you mean. There are just some things you can't control."

"Matt…," she then spoke. "Can…can we really do this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…what if we don't make it out of this whole thing? What if…we fail?" Selema's head drooped down below.

Matt took a deep breath. He then looked her straight in the eye. "We won't…" he simply said. Selema gasped at his words before turning her gaze back to the horizon.

The two then stayed in silence for another hour. Selema kept up her flight and literally was willing herself to keep going. Matt was right. If they didn't succeed…no one would.

Suddenly, the sky around the duo slowly began to grow darker. The clouds themselves were becoming more gray.

Matt looked around and was slightly confused at what was going on, but he was broken from his thoughts by Selema's yell. "Matt, look!" To his amazement, there in front of them coming into view was an island! A strange island to be sure.

"Is this the right place, Selema?" he asked.

"Yeah…I think so…," she replied. "Should we land there?"

Matt thought for a second before he nodded in response. The pink dragoness slowly lowered herself and Matt before they landed with a thud.

The teen looked around his surroundings. The place certainly _seemed_ familiar.

"Where do we go?" Selema asked.

"I guess…we just go on in…," Matt replied.

So with that, the duo walked inside a long cave. They continued on for a time before they reached a doorway. Suddenly, a strange voice welcomed them.

_What brings you here strangers?_

Selema gasped and hid close to Matt, who answered the call. "We are here to see the Chronicler. He's expecting us. Uh…can you let us in please?"

_Before going any further….a test you must take…a challenge to face…prove you are not fake._

"What?" Selema asked.

Matt looked ahead and found pedestal standing before them. A bright aura was shining all around it.

"I think we need to jump on," Matt suggested. He walked forward and stepped in front of the pedestal.

"Are you sure about this?" She walked up next to him.

"I don't think we have much choice…"

Selema gulped hard. "Ok…"

"On the count of three…one…two…three!" With that, both Matt and Selema jumped into the shining light on the pedestal. Almost immediately did Matt feel a strange feeling course throughout his body. It was a sort of like floating on air. His body then felt warm inside and soon flashes of all the people and places he'd been to throughout his travels showed to him.

As soon as it began though, it ended. Matt opened his eyes to find they'd been transported to another room.

"Huh?" he asked out loud. "What was that all about?"

"I feel funny," Selema said. There was a nauseous look all over her face.

"Congratulations," came another voice…another familiar voice. "It seems your hearts are both pure after all."

Matt gasped. There was only one person he knew who had that voice. "Ignitus! Is that you?"

Suddenly, the room that Matt and Selema were in began to glow and illuminate its contents. The walls were lined with books and records while a giant hourglass sat in the middle of the room.

"How do you know that name?" The duo turned to see a large teal-blue dragon with a crystal hanging from it's neck walking towards them. "I haven't gone by it for quite some time." It was Ignitus!

Matt put on a huge grin. "Ignitus…don't you remember who I am? It's me, Matt."

Ignitus looked him over thoroughly, but shook his head. "I'm afraid I've never seen a human being…until now." He turned to Selema. "Well done on getting the two of you here , young dragon."

The pink dragoness stared at him for a moment. "Thank you…Ignitus."

"Ignitus," Matt spoke up. "Something's gone terribly wrong. The world…it isn't supposed to be like this."

The old dragon raised a brow. "Is that so? Well, it seems we've already divulged into why I asked the two of you here. You see, it was not too long ago when I felt a strange force enter this land."

"That was probably us," Matt replied. "Please Ignitus…you have to tell…"

"Patience, young warrior, I'm getting there. Anyhow, as I've watched you both these last few days I've had many questions myself…especially for you Selema."

"Huh?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Cynder wasn't lying before. You are supposed to be dead as of now, but it seems that you've moved yourself back onto the list of the living."

"No way…," Selema whimpered.

"What? How did that happen?" Matt asked.

"Selema…how much do you know of your past?" Ignitus asked.

"My parents…they were killed by the apes. My mother…she sacrificed herself to save me…but then I was captured. I was held prisoner for a really long time…" She turned to her friend at her side. "…but Matt saved me from that place."

"Hmm…according to my records…you died along with your mother that night."

"How is that possible though?" Matt asked. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"I think you already know," Ignitus replied. "Think of all that has happened around this world since you both appeared here. Piece it all together…and you will have a solution."

Matt closed his eyes and thought long and hard. "No one remembered us…not even you. Either someone tampered with their memories…" His eyes widened in realization. He looked to both Selema and Ignitus. "Are you saying…we traveled through time?"

"What?" Selema asked out loud.

"I would not say you've traveled through time itself…but rather you've come into an alternate reality," Ignitus continued.

"An alternate reality…?" Matt asked. "But how can that be?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself about it…but ever since the two of you arrived…I've grown more and more suspicious to how things played out. Forgive me for asking young ones, but you must tell me your tale. You say you both knew Spyro and Cynder?" Matt and Selema nodded. "I've done what little research I've could, but I believe there will be all I need right here. Please go on…"

Matt and Selema looked at each other and then took a deep breath. For the next ten minutes, the former told his story the best he could…about how he came to the Dragon Realms with his friends and fought Malchoir alongside Spyro and Cynder. Selema then told of how those three came to her rescue. Matt then explained about how Ignitus himself had asked him to train Selema in combat, which they both agreed to do. Finally, they explained how Selema suddenly shook with light and how the world was so messed up when they woke up.

"That's another thing I want to ask," Matt said when he was finished. "How _did _we end up here? How could we still retain our memories?"

"I think the answer is standing right next to you," Ignitus said with a smile.

Matt and Selema gasped. He looked her over and it suddenly came to him. "You…you can control…time?"

"I can control what?" Selema asked shakily. She turned to Ignitus. "Is that possible?"

Ignitus nodded. "Just like the purple dragon, there have been dragons throughout history that have been able to manipulate time itself. They are just as rare though, maybe even rarer than the purple dragon."

Selema began to shiver involuntarily. "No…no way…I can't be…"

"How else can you explain the two of you being here now with your memories still intact?"

"But…how? Why me?" Selema asked.

Matt couldn't help but stare at his friend with wide eyes. It all made sense now. Was this the reason that the apes kept her prisoner all those years? Were they trying to harness the power? He then gasped as another thought came to mind. He turned to Ignitus.

"Wait…," he said. "Igntius…is it possible..that something happened in the past to change everything?"

Ignitus smiled again. "Now we are getting somewhere. There is something you both must see." With a wave of his paw, the old dragon called over a certain purple book.

"Spyro's book," Matt said.

"Precisely," Igntius said. He hung his head at the sound of the name, but continued on. "I last saw him alive…four years ago. He and Sparx were both on a journey to seek out the Chronicler. I didn't know what had become of him for some time…not even after I sent out Hunter to try and locate him and Cynder."

Matt remembered both of their stories from before, but let the old dragon continue. "Unfortunately…Spyro never returned. Instead, the other Guardians and myself could only watch in horror as Malefor rose to power again…having being set free on the Night of Eternal Darkness as predicted. My heart also sank when I saw that Cynder had returned to her previous form…corrupted by the darkness once more. We all stood and fought the best we could, but in the end…I along with Volteer, Cyril, and Terrador fell in battle."

Ignitus was silent for a moment. "It was then that I was approached by the previous Chronicler, who offered me the opportunity to take his place. I was reluctant at first, but eventually I decided to accept the offer…as now I stand before you."

Matt took a moment to let it all soak in. "But…that wasn't supposed to happen. Spyro…he did do it. He and Cynder did beat Malefor. I know they did! But…" Matt paused a moment. "…how could he have been beaten at the Well of Souls? That's not possible."

"I'm afraid it's true," Igntius replied. "The Chronicler warned Spyro not to go on, but he insisted on not letting Cynder fall to the darkness again. The two fought each other one-on-one for a time. Eventually, they both fell into a pit of despair. Spyro fell into the beam of pure darkness…and it overwhelmed his heart. He was given great power…but even that wasn't enough to defeat Gaul, who emerged victorious." Ignitus went on to say how Sparx was killed shortly afterward and how Cynder gave in to Malefor out of her grief.

"That's not right though," Matt said. "Spyro did beat Gaul. There's no way…unless…" He looked at Selema for a moment. "Ignitus…could the apes have used Selema's power to go back in time to that night?"

"Malefor taught them how to harness the power of the gems, so I suppose it is possible he taught a few certain apes how to create a portal in time."

"But that still doesn't explain everything…," Matt said. "When I saved Selema, I took out a large number of apes. There's no way that any of them would know how to do that...unless..." _Gaul himself emgered victorious_… "…they used the power to bring Gaul back, didn't they?" Ignitus nodded. "So Gaul went back in time and…he somehow killed Spyro…" The young teen ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't believe it…how could this have happened?"

"This one event only proves the problems of meddling with time," Ignitus said. "One little change can create so much…and potentially destroy so much as well."

"But hold on," Matt then said. "That doesn't explain everything. You said you had no record of me ever coming here before now right?" Ignitus said he hadn't. "Well then…why didn't my friends and I come here then? We could've stopped this…" Matt's face then grew more pale. "Unless…this world was just already lost to darkness…"

"That it has…," Ignitus said sadly.

Matt paced around the room for a few minutes. He noticed Selema had been very quiet during all the explanation. It probably was a bit of a shock knowing how powerful you really were…something he could definitely relate to.

"Ignitus…," Matt said. "Is there any way to fix things? I made a promise…and I plan on keeping it."

"There is only one that I know of…," the old dragon replied. "And I think you already know it as well…"

Matt gasped. He knew what Ignitus was talking about as he turned to Selema. "No…are you saying…that Selema can…?"

Selema looked in horror at both of them. "I…I…"

Ignitus nodded firmly. "The only way to fix the present…is by correcting the deeds in the past. Selema is the only one with the power to do so."

The pink dragoness shook her head at Matt. "Matt…?"

Suddenly, a loud bang was heard outside the room. It caused the entire room to shake on it's hinges.

"What…what was that?" Selema asked.

Matt gritted his teeth. "I'll give you one guess…"

A chilling voice answered his question. _Fools…you think you can hide from me? This is my world…there is nowhere you can go where I cannot see._

"Malefor…," Igntius said coldly.

"How did he find us?" Matt asked.

_Chronicler…I know what you are trying to do. You may have a great duty in this place…but if you do not hand them over to me now…I will be forced to take them myself. _

"Malefor," Igntius yelled. "You may be all powerful…but even in death I will not let you have your way. If you want these two young ones, you'll have to come and get them yourself."

_Very well…you leave me no choice._

Matt then heard a loud roar issue from a distance away. He then heard the sounds of walls and stone shattering.

"It seems we do not have much time," Ignitus said. "My defenses won't last very long against his power."

"Ignitus, what are we supposed to do?" Matt asked. He beckoned Selema's attention as well.

"I'm not exactly sure myself…all I know is that it takes years for a dragon who controls time to fully master it."

"We don't have years!" Matt yelled. "We only have minutes before Malefor gets in here!"

By this time, Selema was shaking even more uncontrollably. She was in complete dismay over her situation. Matt noticed and rushed to her side.

"Matt…," she said.

"Selema…please…"

"No…I can't…"

"Yes, you can…I know you can. Ignitus?"

"Well…the only thing I've found about the powers of time is that you must know exactly when in time you want to go. That's all I can tell you."

"Ok, ok," Matt closed his eyes and thought hard. He knew they needed to go about four years into the past…the Night of Eternal Darkness to be exact.

"Selema…look at me…," Matt said. "Please…you need to try and focus…"

"Matt…I can't do this…"

"Yes, you can!"

"How can you ask this of me?" Selema suddenly burst out loud, startling the young human to his feet. "How can you ask me to do this, Matt? I mean, travel back in time? You can't be serious? I don't even know how!"

"Yes, you do! You've done it before!"

"That wasn't me and you know it! My powers acted on their own! I wasn't trying then!"

"Selema, this isn't that much different than flying!"

Selema growled at him. "Flying? Are you serious? This is totally different!"

"No, it's not!" Matt began to yell as well in frustration. "Selema, you've had this power inside you your entire life! It's always been there! It's yours to use and control! You just have to try!"

"I can't do it! You don't understand!" Selema screamed at the top her lungs. A few tears burst from her eyes.

Matt glared angrily at her now. "You don't think I understand? I'll tell you something, Selema! I know what it's like to suddenly have a responsibility thrust on you. I didn't always have the Keyblade. It changed my life forever, and I've faced things you couldn't possibly imagine."

"Really now? I bet no one asked you to suddenly take them back in time now did they? Did they?"

Matt sighed. "No…no one ever asked me, but I still had a responsibility…and it's something you just can't ignore." The young teen placed a hand on his friend's cheek. "Selema…I know it's not fair. It never is…but you have to realized just like I did that this is who you are. You can't change that no matter how hard you try."

Selema drooped her head. "But…what if I can't?"

"I know you can, Selema. Do you want to know why I know you can?"

"Why…?"

Matt took a deep breath and looked the pink dragoness straight in the eye. "Because you're not the same dragon I found that day, Selema. You fought for so long to stay alive as a prisoner, but you've grown so much since then. You've overcome so much to be here standing in front of me today, and it's not because of your powers." He placed his other hand on his chest. "It's because of the strength of your heart, Selema."

Selema gasped. "My…heart…?"

"Yes…"

Ignitus stood in front of the door as Malefor was just moments away from breaking in.

_I give you one last chance Ignitus…surrender to me or die!_

"No, Malefor! I've watched this madness go on for far too long! I will not stand by any longer as you shroud this world in darkness…especially when there are those who are still willing to defend it. You never did understand about compassion…and that is why you will fail."

_You fool! I am eternal!_

Matt looked at Selema one more time before wrapping his arms around her neck. "Selema…no matter what happens…just know this." He then moved his lips to her ear. "I believe in you…" he whispered. "I believe…"

Selema gasped. Her eyes filled with tears once more. _Matt…you're the best friend I've ever had. _The pink dragoness closed her eyes. She felt deep within herself and tried to find what she was looking for. _Matt believes in me…I just have to believe in myself…_

Suddenly, Selema's body began to glow with a bluish-like light. She opened her eyes and they too glowed with light. Matt could feel the dragoness grow warmer by the minute, but he still clung to her with all his might. _This is it…_

Ignitus turned his attention to the pair and stared in wonder and what he saw. He then closed his eyes and smiled. "Good luck…," he whispered.

It was then that Malefor finally burst through the door of the library. Matt heard him yell in anger and rage before a rushing sound filled his eyes. He then felt as he was lurched around and pulled in every which direction. However, the teen refused to let Selema go.

Eventually, everything came to a complete stop…and Matt felt or heard no more…

* * *

**_Whoa! :o That was intense! It looks like the stage is finally set. Will Matt and Selema succeed? Find out in the next exciting chapter!_**

**_On another note, I actually want to make a small announcment now. For those who like this story, I'm definitely thinking of writing another story after it...but I'm also thinking about a prequel! *story readers gasp* That's all I'll say for now!_**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	28. Into the Past

**_Hey everyone! Bet you didn't expect this update so quickly, did you? Well, you have break to thank for that. :) Hope your ready for yet...another twist._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I own the characters Matt and Selema. _**

* * *

After the spinning rush was over and he had come too, Matt slowly opened his eyes once again. It took a few seconds for him to refocus.

"Whoa," he mumbled. "What a rush…"

_Did it work…? _He thought. The area around him looked the same. Books still lined the walls…only this time the area was silent. The teen scanned for any sign of Ignitus or even Malefor, but they were nowhere to be found.

Matt then remembered. He looked down and immediately found the pink dragoness he had kept hold of lying right next to him.

"Selema!" he cried. "Selema? Are you alright?" She didn't answer him back. Instead, the dragoness looked as though she was in a deep slumber, her chest moving up and down peacefully.

Matt breathed a sigh of relief. _She's ok…just passed out. I don't blame her. _He gave her a small squeeze. "You did great…," he whispered.

Suddenly, Matt felt a strange presence around him. He jerked his head upwards. "Hello! Who's there?"

"I believe it is I who will be asking the questions."

Out of the shadows came a figure Matt had only seen once before. He was a large pale dragon with white markings all over his body. His voice sounded old and fragile, while his eyes were blue.

"You…," Matt said. "You're…the Chronicler...the other Chronicler."

"I beg your pardon," the old dragon replied.

"It's a long story."

The Chronicler then cleared his throat. "Now tell me young human…how did you get into this place? Who are you?"

Matt grunted. "My name is Matt, and this dragon's name is Selema. Look, I don't really have a whole lot of time to explain. Something terrible is about to happen."

"Explain what? How you suddenly appear in this sacred place holding a dragoness in your arms? Your species isn't even supposed to exist in this world."

"I know what it looks like, but you've got to believe me." Matt decided to get straight to the point. Where's Spyro? Have he and Sparx left already?"

"How do you know about Spyro? He just left for the Well of Souls minutes ago."

Matt's heart skipped a beat. _I still have time…_ "Ok, here's the thing. I know it sounds crazy, but Selema and I are from the future. She's a dragon who can control time, and that's how we're both here. All you need to know is that I need to get to the Well of Souls immediately. If I don't, then Gaul will…I mean the future Gaul will…" Matt cursed to himself. "This is so hard to explain."

"What do mean by what Gaul will do?" The Chronicler asked.

"All right…I'll put it to you this way. Spyro's going to take out Gaul in the next hour or so, but he'll be brought back from the grave." Matt motioned to the sleeping dragoness in his arms. "It's because of what they did to Selema when they captured her. They stole her power and used it to send him back to this night…to kill Spyro before he does what he has to do a few years from now. Are you happy now?"

The Chronicler simply stared at him for several minutes. Matt didn't know whether or not he would call him crazy or not.

"Who are you?" he simply asked.

Matt stared at him straight back. "Someone trying to set things right. Spyro will succeed…but only if you let me go and make sure that happens. Please...it's by the wishes of the next Chronicler himself…Ignitus."

The Chronicler's eyes widened in shock, but then closed with a grin. "Very well...young warrior. I will not lie…but I have actually been expecting you. Don't ask how I know. In fact, I will use my power to take you directly to the Well of Souls."

Matt was surprised by the wise dragon's offer, but decided to take it. "Thank you," Matt replied with a bow. "I won't disappoint you."

The Chronicler nodded before turning his gaze. "And Selema? Do you wish for her to go with you?"

Matt stole a long look at his dragoness friend as she slept. It only took him a few seconds for him to decide…though he also closed his fist as he realized it.

"No…," he said reluctantly. "Selema's done all she can…it's up to me now to finish this. I have to. Could…could you watch over her for me till I get back?"

The Chronicler nodded. "She will be in the best of hands. Before you leave though, I must warn you. If what all you say is true, then you already know of what dangers lie in your being here in this time period."

Matt gulped. After all his time watching movies about dealing with time, he knew there was a simple rule to follow. _Don't be seen and don't try to interfere._ "Yeah…I know."

The wise dragon then lifted his paw. "Very well, Matt. I wish you the best of luck in your mission."

Matt then felt as he was lifted off his feet. He stole one last look at Selema, who looked so peaceful in this time of great chaos. He wanted for than anything for her to come with him, but he'd already asked too much of her.

_I won't let you down, Selema._ Matt thought. He closed his eyes and felt as he was whirred to his destination.

* * *

"What is this thing?" Spyro asked as he looked at the giant pit of darkness before him.

"It look like some giant pit of despair of which we will never escape," Sparx the dragonfly said behind him. "Sounds like fun." He then floated into the pit. "WOOO!"

Spyro rolled his eyes. "He is so weird." The purple dragon then jumped into the pit after his brother.

Not a moment after Spyro had leaped in, a dark figure emerged from the shadows. When the light shined on him, it was revealed to be none other than Gaul himself, or at least Gaul in the body of the ape he'd been revived in. He moved closer and took a glance into the pit.

"That's right you little whelping," the ape growled. "Soon…soon I will have my revenge. Once the time is right, I will seal your fate once and for all. Only then will the Dark Master rise once again and be free to rule over this land." Gaul reached into his cloak and pulled out his scepter, which was feeding off the dark energy of the Well of Souls. He was well prepared for what he knew to come…

…or so he thought…

"Stop right there!" came a voice out of nowhere. Gaul whirled around to find someone standing at the ledge of the mountain, just yards away from him.

"Who dares?" Gaul asked.

To his surprise, a young human male stepped into the light. He had brown hair and eyes. His white shirt had been worn and torn in many places. He also wore black shorts with blue trim and strange black shoes.

Matt stared at the ape with a look of determination in his eyes. "Step away from the pit, Gaul."

The former king flinched at the sound of his name. Only his soldiers knew he was in this body. Unless…

"You…," Gaul growled. "So you're the human they spoke of, the one who killed so many of my brethren. How is it possible that you're here?"

Matt narrowed his eyes. "You know the dragon whose power you stole? It's thanks to her that I'm here now."

Gaul growled in frustration. It wasn't possible for this boy to be here now, even if the dragon survived.

The young teen clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "Your plan stops here, Gaul. I'm going to make sure of it."

The ape king was stunned for a moment, but then curled his yellow teeth in a grin. "Tell me human…what has become of the present? I would bet it's quite magnificent under the Master's rule."

Matt slowly shook his head. "You don't have a clue what you've done. I would say you killed my friend…but I'd be lying seeing as how that's not gonna happen."

Gaul couldn't help but laugh. "You think you can stop me, the Ape King? My incompetent soldiers may not have been able to kill you, but you don't stand a chance against me. My power is more than enough for a pathetic human like you.

Matt smiled. "Normally…you'd probably be right. But your soldiers found out the hard way that I'm no ordinary human. Prepare yourself, Gaul!" The young teen then raised his hand and prepared to summon his Keyblade to his side once more.

Unfortunately to his great surprise, it never came…

Matt gasped. He tried several more times to call the Keyblade, but it wouldn't come. "Huh? What's happening?"

The Ape King burst out into laughter at the sight in front of him. "Oh, I'm so scared. What are you going to kill me with? Air?" He pointed his scepter for the teen.

Matt stared in shock at his hand, which was now shaking in horror. _Why can't I call the Keyblade? What's going on?_

It only took him a few seconds to realize it. This was four years into the past. He was only fifteen in this timeline…and he didn't have the Keyblade then. Matt knew if he couldn't wield it then, he couldn't be allowed to wield it now.

"Oh no…," he said. "I'm in trouble…"

* * *

Selema groaned as she slowly came to. She slowly worked to her feet.

"Matt…?" she asked as she opened her eyes. To her surprise, an old dragon was staring her in the face. The pink dragoness gasped. "Who…who are you?"

"Relax, young dragon," he replied. "I am the Chronicler."

"No, you're not. Ignitus is the Chronicler."

The old dragon sighed. "Ignitus is the _next_ Chronicler, Selema. It is not his time yet to take on this role."

"Wait a minute…does that mean?"

The Chronicler nodded. "Yes…you are in the past, Selema. Four years to be exact if I'm not mistaken."

Selema's eyes widened in shock. "I…I did it? I traveled through time? Wait till I tell…" She then realized. "Matt…" The dragoness looked everywhere, but there was no sign of him. "Where's Matt? Is he alright?"

The Chronicler sighed. "Your friend is fine…for the moment."

"Why do you say that? Where is he?"

"I've used my powers to transport him to the Well of Souls. He is now attempting to stop the Gaul from your time before he kills Spyro."

"What? Why did he go by himself?"

"When you both arrived, it was Matt who awoke first. He saw that you were exhausted, so he asked that I watch over you until he returned…that is if he does return."

Selema gasped. "What do you mean by that?"

The Chronicler paced around the room. "Matt is a Keyblade warrior is he not?" Selema nodded. "Well…it seems that we both made a grave error when I agreed to send him to the Well of Souls. How long has he had the Keyblade, Selema?"

The dragoness shook her head. "I…I don't know really. About a year or so…" She gasped in realization. "You don't mean…?"

The Chronicler nodded. "I'm afraid so. Matt is without the Keyblade in this time."

"Oh no!" Selema breathed. She turned to the old dragon. "Can..can he beat Gaul without it?"

The wise dragon shook his head. "If the Keyblade is the source of his power, then it is highly unlikely."

Selema shook her head in denial. "No…no…I have to go to him!"

"I'm not sure that is wise, Selema. You've used a great amount of energy is transporting yourself through time. Your body needs time to recover."

"I don't care!" Selema cried. "Matt is in trouble and he needs me! I'm not going to let him face Gaul alone!" She turned her back to the wise dragon. "Matt's already done so much for me…I can't let him down. I'm going and you can't stop me!"

The Chronicler smiled and shook his head. "It would be foolish if I did."

Selema looked back at him in shock. "You…won't try and stop me from leaving?"

"No…I can see that you and Matt share a strong bond. You two have been through many perils have you?" Selema nodded and smiled. "Then it seems only necessary that you two face this task together. However, before you go there is something I must bestow upon you, young dragon."

Selema raised a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

The Chronicler grinned. "There are more to your powers than you know, Selema. Allow me to unlock them for you." He then waved his paw towards the pink dragoness, who was surrounded by a strange glowing light. She closed her eyes and felt warmer than ever before.

_Hold on, Matt. I'm coming…_

_

* * *

_

**_Uh oh! Can Matt survive without the Keyblade? Can Gaul be stopped from rewritting history? Find out next chapter!_**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	29. Power Struggle

**_Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update...but due to being busy and having techincal issues...AND this being a long chapter, it was going to take a while. However, I hope it's worth the wait for you guys. Without further ado..._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I own the characters Matt and Selema. I also don't own the character Neo._**

* * *

Matt was frozen to the spot he stood in. Never had he felt so vulnerable since leaving his home on his journey for the first time. He couldn't believe that the one time that he needed it most, the Keyblade wouldn't be there for him.

Meanwhile, Gaul seemed to have caught on to Matt's dilemma. "Well…it seems the mighty Keyblader can't even call his own weapon. How pathetic…I shouldn't even bother wasting my time dealing with you anyway. Destiny is calling me."

Matt gasped. He looked over towards the pit that Gaul was standing over now, knowing that the Spyro of the past was probably already fighting for his life. If he didn't do anything, the Ape King before him would change history as they knew it.

_I can't let that happen…_ Matt thought. _But what am I supposed to do without the Keyblade? _He picked his brain over for any kind of answer…until something then hit him.

_Matt found himself in a room with wooden walls on all sides. He wore a white outfit with a brown belt around his side._

_He looked up to find another young man standing in front of him. This man had short brown hair and brown eyes like him, but he was also slightly taller and more built muscularly. The man also wore white clothes, but with a black belt around his side._

"_Pretty sweet, isn't it?" the man asked._

"_I'd say so," Matt replied. "So what exactly am I here for Neo? You said you wanted to do a little training with me?"_

_Neo nodded. "That's right."_

"_Sounds good to me." Matt extended his arms to summon the Keyblade, but Neo raised his hand to stop him. _

"_You won't be needing that," Neo simply said._

"_Huh?" Matt asked. "What are you talking about? How am I supposed to fight?"_

"_Well…isn't it obvious?"_

_The young teen thought it over for a few seconds after looking at the environment a little more. "You want me to fight you hand-to-hand?"_

_Neo nodded. "That's the idea."_

_Matt raised his eyebrows. "Aww…c'mon Neo. Don't get me wrong, learning kung-fu would be really cool…but why do I need it? I've got the Keyblade...shouldn't that be all I need?"_

"_It's true you've come far with the Keyblade, Matt. However, there may come a time where you don't have it to use in a fight."_

"_How is that possible?"_

"_You never know. Besides, even if you did have the Keyblade right now, I could still give you a run for your money with just my bare hands."_

_Matt sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Well…I suppose I can give it a try. Why not?"_

"_And what better place for you to learn…in here?" Neo replied. He then got into his battle stance. "Alright kid, show me what you got…"_

Matt opened his eyes. Were it not for the current situation, he would at laughed at how Neo had actually been right.

_Looks like I don't have a choice…_ he thought. _I'll have to go hand-to-hand._

The only problem with that was that Matt used the Keyblade so often, he didn't bother practicing as much…which meant that he probably couldn't win at this rate.

However…Matt then realized he didn't really need to win. He just had to stall Gaul long enough so he couldn't kill Spyro and bring about a hell on Earth. He also remembered his promise to Cynder that he would make things right…and also what Selema had to overcome.

"Sorry, Gaul," Matt exclaimed. "I've come too far to just quit now. You're going down!"

However, the Ape King simply ignored Matt and turned his back to him. Reacting fast, the teen charged straight for him. Focusing his efforts, he jumped into the air and tackled the large ape out of the way of the pit below. Matt then quickly jumped back onto his feet and put up his fists.

"You fool," Gaul growled. "Are you really that intent on dying?" He drew out his scepter, which somehow doubled as a sort of blade.

"Who said anything about that?" Matt asked. "You're not getting anywhere near Spyro. I'll make sure of that."

"I think not!" Gaul then bent forward and charged in straight for the teen, but Matt had been ready. As Gaul aimed a slash for his side, he managed to leap backwards out of harm's way. The Ape King continued to try and cut the teen down, but Matt was able to dodge each and every one of them.

"Hold still!" Gaul yelled as he tried to slash again, but once again Matt rolled out of the way.

"What's the matter, Gaul?" Matt asked. "Can't hit me?"

The Ape King growled out in frustration, but he did notice something crucial. "What's wrong, human? Can't seem to catch your breath?"

To his surprise, Matt was breathing very heavily. Dodging Gaul's attacks was taking a lot more out of him than he originally thought. His stamina wasn't nearly as much without the Keyblade. Matt gritted his teeth and prepared himself once more.

Gaul charged in again with his blade, but this time Matt decided to try a new tactic. Gaul swung his blade down hard, barely missing the young teen. However, Matt immediately jumped up and clenched his fist before ramming it into Gaul's right jaw, sending the former King back a few inches and completely stunned. Seizing the opportunity, Matt then used a move that Neo had taught him just months before.

Taking a deep breath, Matt sprinted forward and jumped into the air again. This time, he twisted his body around and hurled his right foot into Gaul's other jaw. The impact was so hard, that it was enough to send Gaul flying back into the wall behind him with a thud.

Matt landed on his feet, and looked up to see the damage. He was panting hard by now, having put a lot of his energy into that jump-kick. To his surprise, Gaul seemed to get up without much effort at all. Matt couldn't help but grit his death and curse to himself.

Gaul grinned a crooked grin. "Enough of this fooling around," he growled. "Time to show you some real power." He raised his scepter and the crystal on top began to glow and shine with dark energy. It was coming from all around the two, with the Well of Souls feeding it more and more.

"Not good," Matt muttered. He looked over and figured Spyro's fight wasn't over just yet. He needed to buy more time. Ignoring his current fatigue, he charged in once more.

Big mistake…

By now, Gaul had more than enough power to spare. Without hesitating, he pointed the scepter at Matt and shot out a beam of energy straight for him. The teen was too weak to dodge, so he took the blast head on.

Matt yelled out in agony as the blast sent him hurling back into the other wall. Pain was ripping through his body from every angle, as if each and every nerve was on fire. Even worse, he was kept in place by Gaul.

The Ape King walked over to him slowly, laughing manically along the way. "This was more fun than I thought…" He took his time walking over to the young human, making sure he suffered each step of the way.

At this point, Matt's eyes were in the back of his head. He wouldn't last much longer at this rate. To his surprise though, Gaul stopped the dark beam in it's tracks. The teen fell forward on his face, unable to even put up a hand to brace himself.

Gaul was bearing down on him at this point. He chuckled to himself, then leaned down and grabbed the teen by his shirt.

"Protect the purple whelping, huh?" the Ape King growled. He then used his other hand to put a chokehold around Matt's throat, slamming him into the wall once more. Gaul then got in Matt's face, causing the teen to smell his awful breath. "You can't even protect yourself…"

Matt groaned in misery, but somehow managed to speak audible words. "You'll…never…win…"

"I already have," Gaul replied. Before he knew it, the Ape King then threw Matt as hard as he could out the entranceway. The teen felt himself go over the edge of the tower…with a hundred foot drop awaiting him…

Matt gasped. Using what little strength he had left, he miraculously managed to grab one a jagged rock out of the side. He tried to grab hold with his other hand, but was too weak to do so.

The teen lowered his head in defeat. He knew this was it…he couldn't hold on forever. Even if he could hang on…even if he could find a way back up the side…it was over. His body ached with exhaustion, desperate to give in.

"I'm sorry…," Matt whispered. "I…tried…" Taking a deep breath, he then closed his eyes and felt as his hand left the rock for good. He was ready for his body to fall into the abyss below…

…but it never did.

Something suddenly grasped hard around Matt's hand not a second after he let go of the rock. He then felt as he was being _lifted…_

"Matt!" a most familiar voice yelled out to him.

The teen's eyes shot open and looked up. Matt's jaw dropped as far as it could go at what he found. It couldn't be…

"Se…lema?" he asked weakly. She had arrived just in the nick of time to catch him just seconds after he'd let go of the side.

"Hold on, Matt!" Selema yelled to him. "I've got you! Don't let go!" She flapped her wings furiously trying to lift him upwards.

Matt didn't know where he found the strength, but he somehow lifted his other hand into Selema's paws, allowing for the dragoness to grasp him more securely. With that, she managed to lift him back up towards the tower before setting him down on the top floor.

"What happened to you?" Selema asked. She gasped as she looked Matt over, with several gashes and bruises covering his body.

"Selema…," Matt replied. "H…ho…how…are…you…?"

Selema then silenced him with a paw. "Save your strength. It's going to be ok." She grasped his shirt in her mouth and carried him inside the area housing the pit once more.

Gaul had been sure he'd succeeded in finally finishing the Keyblader off. No one could possibly survive a fall like that. Satisfied with himself, he walked back over and looked into the pit. To his surprise, his past self and the purple dragon were still locked in combat. It wouldn't be long now…

However, his nostrils suddenly picked up on a different scent. A slightly familiar scent. The large ape whirled around and was shocked at what he found.

The human was alive...and that wasn't all. He had been saved by a dragon…a pink dragoness to be exact. Gaul growled out in frustration at his failure.

"Curses!" he screamed.

Selema managed to lay the struggling Matt back against the wall. He was so weak, he could barely move a muscle. However, that was the last thing on his mind at the moment.

"Selema…," he groaned. "What are you…?"

The dragoness looked at him with a sense of determination in her eyes. She also seemed much more calmer than normal as well. "Don't worry, Matt. I'll take it from here."

"Wha…?" Matt asked. "No…"

"It's ok," Selema replied firmly. "I'm ready for this. Trust me…"

What else was Matt going to do? He was too weak to stop her now. Still…he wondered what would possibly give Selema the nerve to try and stop Gaul? Unfortunately, Selema had already stepped forward before he could say anything further.

Gaul chuckled. "Well, well. What do we have here?" His eyes widened. "Ah…you must be the dragon my men were keeping prisoner. I must thank you for your little 'gift'. I must say, I will make fine use of it."

Selema growled and bared her teeth. "I won't let you hurt anybody else, Gaul! This ends now!"

Gaul laughed even harder. "_You _think you can stop me from destiny? You're either very brave…or very foolish."

"Maybe…," Selema replied. She glanced at Matt quickly before staring Gaul down once more. "But I won't just sit back and let you destroy everything!"

Gaul then was silent for a moment before cracking another grin. "Would you look at that? You have the same eyes as a certain dragoness I slayed years before…you are her splitting image to say the least."

Matt flinched from his spot. He knew exactly what he was talking about…and to his surprise…Selema did as well.

"You…," she hissed. "You're the one who killed my mother?" Selema began to shake violently, but still stood her ground. "You monster…"

"Do not fret my dear," Gaul replied. He raised up his scepter once more. "Once I'm done with both of you, you'll get to see your pathetic mother again!"

"ENOUGH!" Selema roared. She then charged straight for the Ape King in a dead sprint.

_Selema…please…be careful…_ Matt thought.

Gaul, not wanting to waste anymore time, raised his scepter up high and shot out yet another dark energy beam from it straight for the dragoness. Selema was ready and managed to roll out of the way in time.

_I just have to remember everything Matt taught me…_ she thought before continuing her charge. The dragoness raised up her right claw to strike. However, Gaul had recovered in time to block her strike before throwing her back once more. Selema managed to land on her feet in time.

Gaul immediately charged and fired another dark energy attack only to watch Selema dodge it once more. What happened next was something that neither he or even Matt expected….

As soon she had gotten out of the way, Selema charged in for another strike. Gaul prepared himself to block her again. Not wasting another second, Selema then decided to give her plan a try.

Just before she got within a few feet of the Ape King, he suddenly felt an immense pain coming from his backside. He roared out in pain before he then was struck hard in the side by a blunt object, sending him flying across the room onto the ground.

Matt sat stunned at what had just occurred. Not only had Selema managed to strike Gaul, but he hadn't even seen her do it. She'd never moved that fast before…unless…

The teen looked around and found Selema standing once again in a battle position. She glanced over at him a second and gave him a small nod with a grin. Almost instantly, Matt knew what she'd really done.

"She can use…Dragon Time…," he whispered to himself. The teen cracked a small grin. Maybe Selema stood a chance against Gaul after all.

The Ape King got back on his feet once more, clutching his back in agony. He growled out in frustration. "Impossible…," he exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

Selema grinned. "That's for me to know and you to find out." The dragoness went forward once more, tapping into her newfound power once again. This time, she leaped up into the air and swung her body completely around, her tail slamming into Gaul's head this time. When time resumed, the Ape King was sent flying again to the ground.

By this time, Gaul was steaming angry. This dragoness was beginning to get on his nerves. "You little...," he growled.

"Had enough?" Selema asked. To her surprise, she was breathing a little heavier than just minutes ago. The Chronicler had warned her not to overuse the power or else it would drain her completely. "Or do you want some more?"

"Alright, then…," Gaul replied. "Maybe it's about time I get serious with you after all." He then took his scepter with both hands and raised it above his head. This time though, he began to spin it around violently, the crystal on top growing brighter and brighter. "Now…take this!" All of a sudden, what seemed like a dozen black energy balls shot out of the crystal at once, and they were headed straight for Selema.

The dragoness gasped. She tapped into her power and watched as the balls began to slow down around her. Moving quickly, she managed to dodge each and every one of them…but only barely.

"That was too close," Matt said from the sidelines. Unfortunately, a grave thought came to his mind as he watched Selema's chest rise and fall even more quickly. "Oh no…"

Gaul chuckled. "That's right, little girl. This isn't the first time I've dealt with your certain gift. I know for a fact that you cannot sustain it for much longer…especially since it seems you just came into the power yourself." He began to spin his scepter again. "Unfortunately for you, I'm just getting warmed up." He then released another round of energy balls for the young dragoness.

Selema grunted and once again used her power to slow the scene down. However, the balls were coming a bit faster than before. She managed to get out of the way of each of them again, but this time when time resumed she felt exhausted.

_No…not now… _she thought. Selema's thoughts were broken by yet another round of energy balls coming for her. She barely had enough time to activate her power once more…but this time the balls were coming too fast. The dragoness could only watch as the last ball hit her hard in the side, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying across the room.

"Selema!" Matt cried.

The dragoness rolled across the ground before slamming into the wall. When she did, Selema felt a sharp and devastating pain come from her chest. Selema cried out in agony and clutched her underbelly in anguish.

"Selema! No!" Matt yelled again. He attempted to get to his feet, but not before Gaul had walked over and kicked him hard in the side, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Stay out of this, boy!" Gaul exclaimed. "I'll be with you quite shortly…but first…" He began to stride over to where Selema layed. "…I think I'll be lenient towards the female and end her suffering now."

Matt grunted and fell to his side. Gaul's kick had knocked the wind out of him, making breathing very difficult. He could only watch in horror as the large ape got closer and closer to his dragoness friend.

As Gaul got nearer and nearer, Selema groaned and looked up at the looming figure before her. Not only was she in a great amount of pain, but she was flat out exhausted from overusing Dragon Time. Still, she tried to summon as much strength as she could to stand.

Unfortunately, Gaul had other ideas. As the dragoness was lifting her head, the ape pressed his foot down on her neck, making her gag. "I don't think that will be necessary…my dear. I'll admit…you put up a decent fight for someone so weak." The Ape King chuckled to himself. "My…my…how this looks so familiar. Tell me, dragon. Do you have anything else to say before you get to see your pathetic mother again?"

Selema groaned from her position on the ground. She couldn't move an inch. Her heart was beating out of control, perhaps out of fear that it wouldn't be beating very much longer. Selema felt her eyes fall down upon Matt's figure, who looked back at her in horror. The young human was grunting and trying desperately to get up and help her…

_Matt…_she thought. _I'm so sorry…I tried my very best. _Selema let out a small tear. _Thank you…for everything…I…I…_

Gaul chuckled as he slowly unsheathed his long sword. "Well, dragon? Speak!"

Selema narrowed her eyes and looked up at Gaul once more. "Go to hell…where you belong…" she spat out at him.

Gaul grinned an evil grin. He then raised the sword high above his head and aimed for the dragoness's chest…where her heart rested underneath. "Now...say goodbye."

Selema closed her eyes and braced herself for the worst.

Meanwhile, Matt was watching as Gaul prepared his weapon for the final blow. Ignoring his body's pleas for rest, he forced out an arm and placed his palm on the ground. He looked up again and saw Selema lying helpless on the ground.

"Selema…," heexclaimed. "No…" He clenched his other fist and placed his other palm on the ground.

Gaul's sword flashed high above his head in slow motion. He didn't have time to waste anymore.

Matt closed his eyes and prepared himself once more. Flashes of the events of the last few days flashed in his mind:

_"My name is Matt," he said. "What's your name?" She looked down and didn't reply. "It's alright…you must have a name. You can tell me."_

_The dragoness lifted up her head. She looked at him for a moment, then slowly moved her lips. "S…S…Sel…ema." Her voice sounded weak and cracked…and vaugely familiar._

_Matt froze for a moment before continuing to work. It couldn't be…_

_"Selema?" She nodded again to confirm it. "Ok, Selema. I'll have you out of here in just a sec."_

His arms buckled as he slowly lifted his upper body up…

_"Please…watch over my daughter, Matt. A long and perilous road lies ahead for both of you, and she needs you now more than ever."_

His knees began to lift themselves into a crouching position…

_Selema looked at it for a moment before looking back at him. "Matt…you really want to teach me?"_

_"Yes, I do," Matt replied. "I won't force you to do this if you don't want to, Selema. It's your choice."_

_Selema didn't hesitate as she raised her paw and accepted Matt's hand. "Ok…I'll do it."_

_Matt's lips slowly curved into a smile. "Are you sure…?"_

_The pink dragoness nodded. "Yeah…I'm sure."_

He cried out in anguish as he bent his knees forward and placed his right foot on the ground…

_He then opened his eyes and stared deep into Cynder's. "I give you my word…I'll make things right. Even…even if I go through Malefor himself."_

_"You will, Matt," Cynder said. "I have faith in you…and you too Selema."_

_The pink dragoness gasped. Her eyes began to flood with oncoming tears. "Cynder…"_

_"Promise me you'll take care of him, Selema. Can you do that?"_

_Selema sniffed hard. "I will…"_

_"Thank you…both of you…now go!"_

Matt slowly lifted himself up onto his legs, gritting his teeth in the process…

_Matt looked at Selema one more time before wrapping his arms around her neck. "Selema…no matter what happens…just know this." He then moved his lips to her ear. "I believe in you…" he whispered. "I believe…"_

Matt didn't know how he'd done it, but he'd somehow willed his way to his feet. _Selema…I won't lose you…I can't! _A warm sensation filled his body as he instantly started in a dead sprint. Time seemed to move slow as he felt the sensation go to his right hand…he had to make it…just a little more…

Selema had expected to feel the metal plunge into her body…but it never came. Instead, all she heard was a clanging sound of metal on metal. Daring to open her eyes again, the dragoness gasped at what she saw.

Gaul's sword was just feet from her…but something else was also in the way. It was another blade…Above the handle was the head of a dragon, with a long black blade protruding from its mouth. Two black wings were engraved on the side of the blade. A small dragon head keychain was dangling from the bottom of the handle as well.

However, Selema was more focused on who was holding the strange blade. She stared in awe at her savior…none other than her human friend.

"Matt…," she groaned.

Gaul just stood in shock at what had happened. His blade was frozen in place, struggling to break through. "Impossible…,"he stuttered. "How did you…?"

Matt let out a small grin. "What's the matter…Gaul? Dragon got your tounge?" He then swung his blade upward, causing Gaul to fall back a few steps stunned…and it was all that Matt would need.

"Now…take this!" Matt swung a mighty horizontal swing that collided directly into the former Ape King. By the time the swing was finished, Gaul was thrown across the area again. Only this time, the ape was sent clean into the wall, shattering the rock and stone around him. A large amount of rubble dropped down onto him, covering his body from view.

Matt panted a few times before sighing deeply. He then turned around and rushed to Selema's side once more. "Selema…are you ok? Hang on!" He held the end of his blade onto her scales. "_Curaga_," he muttered. The green light poured all over the dragoness's body, healing every wound she had sustained. All the while, Selema just continued to stare.

"Matt…," she gasped. "How…how did you…?"

The teen chuckled to himself. "I…I don't really know. I guess…" He held up his Dragon's Fury blade for both of them to see. "…I guess your ancestors had other things in mind for the both of us."

"Wow…," Selema replied. She and Matt stole a glance over at the rubble that covered Gaul. "Is…is it over?"

"I…think so…," Matt replied. He sat down next to the dragoness and sighed a deep breath. He then looked Selema back in the eye and gave her a huge grin. "Thanks…for saving my life back there."

Selema shook her head. "Don't mention it. I already told you, Matt. We're in this together." She nuzzled his side, in which he wrapped an arm around her neck.

"I'm so proud of you," Matt said. "That was really brave of you to face Gaul like that. Where did you learn how to do that?"

"The Chronicler," Selema replied. "The Chronicler…at least the one from this time anyway…he unlocked it for me. He said it was there all along…and that I was ready to use it."

"I'd say you were always ready. You just needed…a little push in the right direction."

Selema laughed. "You could say that…" She paused and looked around. "So…what do we do now?"

"I don't know…," Matt replied.

Suddenly, the room around them began to shake. The duo jumped to their feet in reaction.

"What's going on?" Selema asked.

It was then that Matt looked dead ahead and gasped in horror at what he saw. A huge shadow was converging on the rubble before them. Before long, a hand shot out the pile, shaking furiously.

"Oh no…," Matt muttered.

"It can't be," Selema stuttered.

Not a moment later, the rubble burst out sending rocks in several directions. In it's place was something that made both Matt and Selema flinch in fright.

Standing before them was none other than Gaul. Only now, his entire body was covered in a cloud of shadow. His fur was now as black as night, with his clothing ripped to shreds. His eyes now flashed blood red in disgust.

"What in the world?" Selema asked.

Gaul then laughed manically once more, only this time his voice sounded very distorted. "Did you really think you could stop me? You fools! The darkness of the Well of Souls fuels my strength. My power is limitless!" The Ape King extended his right arm and seemed to summon a new scepter in a cloud of smoke. "Now you two will the first to feel my wrath!

"We'll see about that!" Matt yelled. He gripped his Keyblade and took to his stance once more.

"You're going down!" Selema also cried. She got up next to Matt and crouched into her stance as well.

Matt looked at her once more. A few days ago, he wouldn't even have considered having her fight someone like this…but that had all changed.

"You with me?" Matt asked.

Selema grinned. "All the way…" They both nodded firmly towards one another and stared down their opponent.

It was now all…or nothing.

* * *

**_Well...this is it. The climatic showdown. *thrlling music begins to play* I've tried to make the anticipation grow as much as I can...and now it's come down to one last brawl. Can Matt and Selema win? Will history be rewritten? Find out in the next exciting chapter! _**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	30. Fight for the Future!

_**Hey everyone! Well, first of all...I'd just like to remind you all how pumped I actually am when I looked at the success of the story up to this point. I never...ever...EVER...expected to get over 7,000 hits and over 200 reviews! Without a doubt, my best story yet! You guys are the best! **_

_**Well, enough talk! Time for ACTION! (Hope it meets your standards!) Here we go...**_

_********__Disclaimer: I do not own the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I own the characters Matt and Selema._

* * *

As the legendary battle between Spyro and Gaul went on beneath them, Matt and Selema were ready for their own final showdown with the Ape King.

"Now it ends!" Gaul raised his scepter high above his head and shot out a barrage of dark energy straight for the duo.

"Look out!" Selema cried. She and Matt rolled to the side to avoid getting hit, both having to grunt with effort.

"Okay," Matt said. "Now to show you some of my tricks, Gaul! FIRAGA!" The teen pointed his blade towards his enemy and a burst of fire emitted from it.

Gaul laughed out. "Is that all?" He then took his scepter and banged it against the ground, causing a wave of dark energy to circle around him. Matt could only watch as his fire spell bounced off this new barrier.

"Alright then," Matt replied. He crouched into a stance. "Let's get up close and personal!" He then charged forward.

"Right behind you!" Selema cried. She dashed right alongside the teen as he prepared his blade to strike. Matt leaped into the air and swung down hard.

However, Gaul had been ready once again. With newfound speed, he managed to unsheathe his sword with his other hand, blocking Matt's strike in the process.

"No way!" Matt yelled.

"You fool!" Gaul screamed back. "Didn't you hear me say it already? Here, I am invincible!" He then hurled up his scepter, trying to gouge the stunned teen before him.

"Matt!" Selema screamed. Without hesitating, the dragoness bit down hard on Gaul's scepter hand, causing the Ape King to growl out in pain. As much as the taste of his flesh made her cringe, she held on tight as he tried to shake her off.

"Get off, you pathetic dragon!" Gaul screamed, but Selema refused to let go.

"Who are you calling pathetic?" Matt had done a backflip to get back on his feet before charging in once more to take his chance again. He closed his eyes and concentrated the energy around him, slowing the scene down with his mind. Just as he was about to swing, he yelled out. "Let go now!"

Selema nodded in response. Within seconds, she managed to use her wings to flap herself away from Gaul just as Matt came in for an attack. Though the Ape King didn't take too long to recover, it wasn't nearly in time as Matt had taken the opportunity to knock his sword away. With his defense down for the moment, the teen yelled out as he unleashed a massive combo attack into the large ape which caused a good amount of damage.

Gaul grunted out as he moved backwards a few inches. His eyes flashed blood red as he growled out in frustration. "You'll pay for that!" He then called more of the dark energy of the Well of Souls to his side. "Now…let's see you both evade this!"

Selema gasped as she recognized this maneuver as the one Gaul had used when she'd fought him one-on-one. He raised his scepter and shot out what seemed like two dozen dark energy balls towards his opponents. The dragoness quickly shot a look towards her friend, who gave her a confident nod back. She closed her eyes and used her newfound power of Dragon Time to slow the scene down enough to dodge each of the balls coming her way.

Meanwhile, Matt took another approach to defend himself. Concentrating once more, he raised up his blade and knocked each and every one of the balls out of his way with his Keyblade. He took a moment to glance down near the pit, wondering how much longer they could keep this Gaul occupied. Just a few more minutes…

When the smoke cleared, both Matt and Selema stood tall and ready for more, causing Gaul to cry out in frustration.

"When will you both just die?" Gaul sneered. "You cannot stop me from fulfilling my destiny!"

"You're wrong!" Matt yelled back. "It's Spyro's destiny to stop your Master from destroying this world!" He and Selema looked each other in the eye before giving a firm nod again. "And I know now it's _our _destiny to make sure that happens like it's meant to."

Gaul swung his red eyes over to the pit below. He closed his eyes and felt towards the bottom of his former lair. He cringed when he found that the purple whelping had already become one with the darkness…and was just moments away from blasting his last body to pieces. If he didn't act now, it would be too late to act…

"Enough!" Gaul yelled. "My Master's will be done!" Matt and Selema then gasped as Gaul sped towards the open pit…which led to their friends below.

Matt and Selema stared in horror before turning to each other once more. As if reading each other's thoughts, both knew what they had to do next.

_We can't let him get Spyro! _Matt thought. _Cynder and Sparx are down there too…There's just too much at stake!_

_I've got to help Matt put an end to this!_ Selema thought. _And I think I know how…_

"Now!" Matt yelled. He and Selema took each other paw-in-hand. With that, Selema tapped into her power once more and slowed down time. The duo charged in and simultaneously slashed Gaul across his chest.

It was only the beginning however, for they continued to weave in and out of Dragon Time power, attacking again and again on several parts of Gaul's body.

The Ape King screamed as there was nothing he could do to stop it, his body beginning to finally give out on him. "No…I will not fail my Master! I cannot!" He watched as the human and dragon charged him again, and in his blind rage he slashed wildly into them…but they both disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"What?" Gaul looked up and gasped at what he saw.

Matt and Selema were hovering near the roof of the tower. Matt had his Keyblade held high above his head in his right hand, a beam of light slowly building on the end of it's tip. His left hand was interlocked with Selema's paw, having not let go the entire attack. They looked into each other's eyes.

"For Spyro and Cynder," Matt exclaimed. The beam of light began to glow stronger with each passing second, both human and dragoness began to glow with light.

"For my family!" Selema cried. They both turned back to Gaul, who could only stare in horror at what was about to occur.

"For the future!" they both cried together. "KINGDOM BLAST!" With that, Matt pointed his blade and released his and Selema's combined energy in the form of his ultimate move.

Gaul screamed out in frustration. He put his his scepter to block the attack, halting it momentarily. "I…will…not…be…defeated…." The Ape King cried out in anger. "Not by…weaklings…"

"It's over!" Matt yelled. He and Selema cried out even harder, pouring more of their power and effort into the blast. With that, the blast managed to push through Gaul's last stand and shroud him in the light of the blast.

"Master…," Gaul cried. "Forgive me!" He then screamed in agony as he slowly was being disintegrated into nothing. The sheer force of the blast sent him clean through the tower. When the blast was finally finished, there was nothing left but a burning hole in the side of the wall.

Matt and Selema were both gasping for air as they hovered back to the ground. When they finally made it, both staggered on their feet before falling forward on the ground. The Dragon blade disappeared with a flash of light.

The duo slowly turned their heads towards each other before they both began to laugh. They closed their eyes and laughed their lungs out for the next minute out of pure joy.

"Is…is it finally over?" Selema asked.

Matt nodded. "Yeah…this time…this time for sure."

Selema closed her eyes and breathed a huge sigh of relief. "I don't believe it…we did it. We did it, Matt!"

Matt then curled his lips into the biggest grin he could muster. "We sure did…"

Unfortunately, the moment couldn't last forever. The hole in the wall began to have creep out from it's sides, running up and down the side of the building. Within seconds, the foundation below the duo started to give way, causing them both look around in amazement.

"What's happening?" Selema asked. "Is it Gaul?"

Matt's eyes widened. "No…oh no…" Somehow, their battle with Gaul had caused enough damage for the place to start coming apart. He also couldn't help but remember what had happened once Spyro had defeated Gaul himself.

Suddenly, a piece of the ceiling came flying down from above, aimed at both Matt and Selema.

"Look out!" Selema cried. She hurled herself into her human friend and barely managed to get out of the way in time.

"We've got to get out of here…now!" Matt exclaimed. As he said the words, another large piece of the ceiling came down, covering the hole to the pit next to them…and cutting off an escape route for two certain dragons.

"Oh no! Spyro and Cynder!" Selema cried. She moved to the pit, but Matt stopped her.

"They'll be fine," Matt replied. He couldn't help but look beneath him and know what was going on the floor below them. Any second now, Spyro would use his power to form a protective crystal over himself, Sparx, and Cynder. They would lie in wait for the next three years…before the next chapter of their adventure began. "Yeah…they'll be fine…"

"C'mon," Selema said. "Can you get up?"

"I think so," Matt grunted. He had used up a lot more of his energy during the Kingdom Blast than he'd thought. He hadn't realized till now just how completely exhausted he felt. The teen made it to his hands and knees, but couldn't finish the rest. "Could you…lend me a hand..er, paw?"

Selema nodded frantically. She hurried over and allowed Matt to wrap his arm around her back. The two then hustled for the exit. Unfortunately, the collapsing building had other ideas. Just as they were about to leave, another huge pile of debris came crashing down where the exit had once been.

Selema gasped. "Oh no! We're trapped!" She looked towards Matt, a look of fear shrouded in her eyes. "What do we do now?"

Matt looked around the room for any sign of escape…but it looked as though their luck had finally run out. The teen closed his eyes and hung his head. "I…I don't know…"

"Matt…," Selema said with tears in her eyes.

All around them, rubble crashed down onto the floor bit by bit. The shaking had increased by second. Soon, they'd be completely smothered.

Matt sighed. He wished there was something more he could do…but in his heart he knew that just wasn't in the cards. The teen reached out and touched Selema's shoulder.

Selema sniffed. "We did it…didn't we? We saved Spyro…"

"…and the world…," Matt finished her sentence. "You're right…and we did it together. Your parents would be proud of you, Selema. I know I am."

Selema gasped, then did the only thing logical. The dragoness threw herself around the teen. "Thank you, Matt. Thank you for everything. I'm…I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be…," Matt said. "It's over now. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I'm so…grateful," Selema choked. "Grateful that…I had the honor of meeting you…and being your friend." She buried her face in his chest.

Matt sighed and closed his eyes. "The honor was mine, Selema. Thank you…"

* * *

As both Matt and Selema waited for their impending doom, they didn't know that they were being watched from afar back at the White Isles.

The Chronicler could only shake his head and smile. He couldn't believe that this young warrior and Selema had actually managed to beat Gaul at the same time Spyro had defeated him.

"Time is a most fascinating thing indeed," the wise dragon said. He watched as Matt and Selema held each other close as they both awaited their end. He chuckled to himself. "I don't believe it is either of your time just yet. Perhaps…" He waved his paw. "…a little nudge wouldn't hurt. Well done young ones…and best of luck to you both in the future."

As Matt braced himself for the end, he gasped when he saw Selema begin to glow again. Knowing what was upon them, he held on tight as the light grew stronger and stronger before it was too much…

* * *

The next thing he knew, Matt found himself lying with his back propped up to something, a tree maybe? His body felt like a ton of bricks as he was filled with utter exhaustion.

_What…what happened?_ He thought. _Am I dead…what about Selema…is she ok?_

The teen felt around until he felt something on his chest. Matt's eyes shot open and he breathed a sigh of relief when he found Selema's head resting there. She was breathing calmly and peacefully, having deserved it.

With that, Matt looked up and was stunned at what he found. There was a small fire pit located in the small clearing they both were resting in. The trees had returned to a luscious green. Sounds of birds and small animals going about their lives filled the air, which smelled clean and pure. Matt also looked up and found the sky a perfect shade of blue.

_No way…_ Matt thought. _Are…are we back? _It wasn't until he looked over and found a certain backpack that made it sense. _My bag! If it's there…then that means…Selema and I are back to where we started…_

Suddenly, Matt heard a groaning from below and found Selema fluttering her eyes open. The teen slowly petted her on the head, causing her to coo with comfort.

"M…Matt?" she asked softly.

"Hey there, sleepy head," Matt replied. "Are you ok?"

"I'm…really…really…tired…"

Matt chuckled. "We too…go back to sleep…we'll talk later…"

Selema purred in delight. "I like the sound of that…"

Matt breathed a huge sigh of relief. He looked to the sky and nodded. "Thank you…," he whispered. He then closed his eyes to rest…

"Matt?" a voice suddenly cried out in the forest.

"Selema?" another voice also yelled out. This one sounded female.

"Huh…?" Matt asked, opening his eyes a little. The voice sounded familiar to him.

The voices began to get louder and louder, which in turn caused Selema to awaken again. "What…what was that?" she asked.

As he heard their names be shouted again and again, Matt widened his eyes in realization. If they really had returned to the present…and everything had gone back to normal…then that meant…

"Matt! Selema!" The duo looked up to the sky and gasped at the sight. Coming down from the air were two dragons, one purple with a golden underbelly and one black with a magenta colored underbelly. Once the dragons touched down, they hurried over to both Matt and Selema.

"I don't believe it…," Selema breathed.

Both Spyro and Cynder were panting as they hurried to their friends' sides. "Matt! Selema!" Spyro exclaimed. "Are you both alright?"

"What happened to you guys?" Cynder asked.

Matt and Selema couldn't help but sport huge grins as they both stared breathless into the purple and green eyes of Spyro and Cynder alike. _They were alive!_

"Guys…," Matt breathed. Tears began to form in his eyes. "Spyro…Cynder..you're back!"

"You're really back!" Selema also exclaimed.

Suddenly, both Matt and Selema had strength from places they didn't know they had. Within a second, they both pounced on the stunned Spyro and Cynder and hugged them harder than ever.

"Oh man," Matt choked. "I thought I'd never see you guys again! I'm so happy you're both alive!"

Spyro and Cynder were both left gasping for air as the duo continued to hug them tightly.

"Matt…," Spyro breathed.

"You're both…choking us…," Cynder added.

"Oh, sorry!" Matt and Selema exclaimed together. They quickly hurried off the two dragons and let them catch their breath.

"Geez…what's gotten into you two?" Spyro asked. "You looked like you've both seen a ghost!"

"You have no idea," Matt said as he rested back against another tree.

"What exactly happened out here?" Cynder asked. "Were you both training that hard?"

Selema chuckled. "Oh…you could say that." She turned and winked at Matt, who in turned grinned and winked back. The act caused Spyro and Cynder to give out suspicious looks.

"Why do you ask? Why are you both even out here anyway?"Matt then asked.

"Well…the truth is we were both pretty worried about you guys," Cynder replied. "Especially after Spyro's little incident."

Matt narrowed his brow. "What kind of incident?"

Spyro shook his head. "I'm…not really sure to be exact. Cynder and I were training at the Temple, when all of a sudden…I began to…well…disappear…"

"Yeah," Cynder replied, resting her head on Spyro's shoulder. "You scared me half to death."

"I know…and I'm sorry…," Spyro added. "It's almost as if…I were…"

"Ceasing to exist?" Matt interrupted.

Spyro and Cynder looked at him suspiciously. "Yeah…," Spyro replied. He narrowed his eyes. "How did you know?"

Matt and Selema then both looked each other in the eyes again. A big grin was sported on both their faces.

"You think we should tell them?" Selema asked.

Matt thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah…they wouldn't believe us anyway…"

"You're probably right." It was then that both the pink dragoness and the young warrior burst out into hysterical laughter, leaving Spyro and Cynder to just stare in utter confusion…

* * *

**_And...it is done! Matt and Selema have set things right once again. Gaul has FINALLY been beaten and Malefor's reign never began to begin with. Just another day at the office for our heroes. _**

**_What's in store now...probly one more chapter...until then..._**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


	31. A Parting Gift

_**Hey everyone! Well...this is it...one last hurrah on Key to the Soul. I really hope you like this last chapter as an early X-mas gift to you. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy new year!**_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own the Spyro characters or games. They belong to their respective owners. I own the characters Matt and Selema. I also don't own the character Neo._**

* * *

It took a lot of prodding from both Spyro and Cynder, but eventually they managed to convince Matt to explain what had happened. He knew deep down that they both find out the truth somehow anyway, being the resourceful dragons they were. Truth be told, Matt just couldn't deny his two good friends anyway.

So as the party of four gathered around the campfire for the night, it took Matt and Selema the next few hours to retell their story of how one event changed everything in the future for the Dragon Realms. They explained all about how Gaul had pulled off his sinister plan and not give Spyro his chance to fulfill destiny. (Matt made sure that Selema not mention Ignitus' name when they had seen him out of respect for the new Chronicler's wishes).

Of course, Spyro and Cynder needed some definite proof of all these events, otherwise the couple would've just thought that Matt had come up with a crazy story as this one.

Matt looked over at Selema. "What do you say? Are you up for it?"

The pink dragoness nodded. "I think I have enough left. Let's give it a try." With that, Matt helped her up so that she could move. Using the last of her energy, Selema managed to halt time for a just a few seconds. However, it was more than enough time for Matt to rush them both to right behind Spyro and Cynder.

When time resumed, the two looked around in wonder to where they'd gone, only to find Matt right behind them holding an exhausted Selema.

"You believe us now?" Matt asked.

"Mostly," Spyro responds. "So let me get this straight. The apes from here in the present used Selema's power to bring Gaul back from the dead and then create a portal to the past…"

Cynder continued. "…which led him the Night of Eternal Darkness. He'd killed Spyro then, causing him not to able to complete his destiny…" The black dragoness gasped. "And…I became…his slave again…"

Matt sighed. "Yeah…but…you overcame it, Cynder…again. It took Spyro's memory to bring you back." The teen gravely remembered what the other Cynder had done for them, but decided not to mention it.

"So…," Spyro continued. "You and Selema went to the Chronicler, and he gave you the knowledge that Selema is a dragon with power over time. Then…you both went back in time and stopped Gaul…I mean future Gaul…from killing me. Does that sound right?"

Matt nodded. "For the most part..."

Cynder shook her head. "Great…now I have a headache…this is all too confusing…"

"Don't worry about it, guys. What's important right now is that everything is back to the way it is…and I don't think I'll take it for granted anytime soon."

"You and me both," Selema agreed. The two shared a small chuckle.

Spyro then suggested that everyone get some sleep before they would all return to Warfang the next day. Before they all did however, Cynder slapped herself on the forehead.

"Oh, Spyro!" she exclaimed. "How could we forget?"

"Forget what?" Spyro asked.

"You don't remember? Someone came and fixed Matt's ship!"

Matt's eyes lit up in surprise. "What? Are you serious? When?"

"Just yesterday," Spyro replied. "It was that one guy who wore the cloak and had those dark things covering his eyes. We remembered him from before…"

"Neo…," Matt interrupted. "Wow…he actually came out here?" Spyro nodded. "Wow…that's a first."

"He sounded pretty annoyed about it," Cynder said next. "He told us to tell you that you shouldn't be so reckless."

"That's Neo alright…"

"Yeah," Spyro said. "He couldn't believe us when we told him you were out training with Selema either."

"Yeah…," Matt said while rubbing the back of his head. "I've got some explaining to do about that…"

"Hey," Selema said. "At least you can tell him how good of a success you were...right?" She winked at the teen again.

Matt chuckled. "Yeah…I guess I can."

* * *

After a good night's sleep, the group began to make the short trip back to Warfang. Selema was assisted by the rest as she had not fully recovered yet. Spyro and Cynder were still impressed that she learned to fly so quickly.

_If you only knew…_ Matt thought.

Before they went through the gates, Matt asked if he could look at the ship really quickly, which everyone else agreed upon. When they touched down, Matt raced inside and looked all of the instruments and devices over.

After a few minutes, the teen deemed it all in good working condition. "I owe you big time, Neo," he said to himself. He then looked over and found a small note attached to his cot. Matt quickly hurried over and read it.

_Matt:_

_I don't know why you came here in the first place, but I hope it was for the best. I'd rather not have to come out there every time the ship breaks down on you. Seriously.._

_Spyro and Cynder explained to me about why you were training with this Selema. They said that you felt like you had to, so I guess I'll just have to believe you know what you're doing for now. Besides, I think I'd want to meet her someday…to see how one of my pupils taught a pupil of his own. _

_I decided to save the best for last. The King wanted me to ask that you come and meet with him as soon as you get this. There is some trouble going on in a few worlds and he was hoping to get you on the job. I would think it's important if he's calling on you. Also, stop by on the way if you want a little more training as well._

_Take care, _

_Neo_

Matt looked over the note and felt a little excitement in the fact that there was some action that he needed to attend to…but then he felt his heart sink a little bit. He'd probably only been in the Dragon Realms for about a week, but it'd felt like a month thanks to his little adventure with Selema.

_Selema…_ Matt thought. _Oh man..._

The teen walked slowly out of the ship. Spyro asked if everything was in tip-top shape, which Matt said it was. He looked at Selema and saw a happy look on her face for him, but he also could tell she was thinking the same thing he was.

"Yeah…," Matt said. "I guess…I guess I have to leave now…Neo says the King wants to see me."

"What?" Spyro asked. "Already? You just got here!"

Cynder sighed. "Aww…that's too bad."

"But…," Matt spoke up. "I think I can afford to stay the night if that's ok with you guys."

Spyro and Cynder nodded excitedly, while Selema simply gave one nod before hanging her head.

With that, the gang headed back to the Temple once more. When they arrived, they were greeted by Hunter and Sparx. Matt spent the rest of the day explaining what had happened during his training with Selema, which everyone was intrigued about…though he decided to leave out the part about her being a Time Dragon and all.

With news of Matt's departure on the horizon, word leaked out to the moles of the kitchen, who decided to throw a grand feast in his and Selema's honor. The teen insisted that it wasn't necessary, but Spyro reminded him that he too was a hero to everyone in the Dragon Realms and that he and Selema deserved it.

And boy did the moles deliver. The food was absolutely fantastic in Matt's book. He made sure to compliment the chefs as he easily ate more than he'd eaten the last two 'days'.

Selema was sitting beside him of course. The dragoness smiled throughout the dinner, but to Matt's surprise she'd been relatively quiet ever since they'd returned to the Temple. It turned out that the Guardians had found her a home to stay in the city while they'd been gone. It was the least they could do for her…

When the dinner was over, Spyro and Cynder bid the duo good night before retreating to bed. Matt and Selema walked to their own rooms in silence for a while (apparently she'd requested to look at the house tomorrow and stay one more night at the Temple). When they both arrived at their destination, the two looked at each other one more time.

"Well…good night Matt…," Selema said solemnly before turning to go inside.

"Selema…wait…," Matt then said. "We have to talk first…"

"About what?"

"I think you know."

Selema hung her head a little before a tear began to roll down her eye. "It's not fair…" She looked up at him with tears in her blue eyes. "Why…why do you have to go?"

Matt sighed and placed a hand on her cheek. "Because…because I have to, Selema. If it were up to me, I'd stay here for as long as I wanted to…but I can't. I made a vow to myself that I would protect the worlds as long as I have the Keyblade. It's my duty."

Selema choked. "I know…it's just…Matt…you're all I really have now!"

"What about Spyro and Cynder? They both care about you too…"

"Not as much as you do! You're my best friend, Matt! I…I don't know if I can just let you go so easily."

"You don't have to let go of me, Selema," Matt replied. "I'll always be with you…" He placed a hand on her chest. "…in here."

"Here…?" she asked, placing a paw over Matt's heart.

Matt nodded back. "Right in there…it's a lot closer than you think…" The two stayed like that for another minute before they both retired for the night.

As Matt drifted off, he couldn't get Selema off of his mind. He'd grown close to several people in his life, some within a matter of minutes. However, he knew deep down that he'd gotten closer to Selema than most of them combined. She'd deemed him her best friend, which in all honesty he felt the same way. She meant as much to him now as Stitch and Pikachu still did.

Matt placed a hand on his chest. "Yeah…in here…"

* * *

After spending the night in the Temple, the time finally came for Matt to depart. Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, Hunter, and Seleam were all there to see him go. The teen shook Hunter's hand and gave Sparx a high-five before turning to his dragon companions.

Matt and Spyro quickly exchanged a hand-in-paw shake while looking in each other's eyes. "Thanks for everything, Matt," the purple dragon said. "It was really great seeing you again. Take care out there will you?"

"You bet, Spyro," Matt replied. "And don't forget, we have a rematch due in the future."

Spyro laughed. "I'd like that…you're on."

Matt then went over and gave Cynder a hug, which she returned. "Next time, would you stay a little longer?" she asked.

"I will," he replied.

It was then Matt turned to Selema. The pink dragoness was shaking from head to toe, a look of dread filling her eyes. The teen faced her, lost for words at what he could say. Before he could though, Selema had thrown herself around him, nuzzling the side of his head the entire way. Matt couldn't help but give her a huge hug in return.

It was silent for several moments before Selema spoke. "I'm gonna miss you, Matt. I'm going to miss you so much."

It took everything Matt had not to tear, but his voice still shook as he replied. "And I'm going to miss you too, Selema. You have no idea…"

Matt then broke away from her for a second. "I have something for you," he said. With that, he reached into his shirt sleeve and pulled out what looked like a long black band. The teen asked Selema for her paw and wrapped it around her wrist. When it was tied on firmly, the wristband glowed once before locking into place.

"What…what is it?" Selema asked.

"This is a very special wristband, Selema," Matt replied. "It's one of only a handful of it's kind…mainly for the magic it contains…"

"What kind of magic?"

Matt then held up his wrist to her, revealing another wristband. "These bands are tied with a powerful spell linking them together. It points and glows brighter whenever the other is close. With these, the two people connected will always find each other if they need to."

Selema sniffed hard and stared at her gift. "Really?"

"Really," Matt replied. "I know I said I'll always be in your heart, Selema. But with these, we will always stay connected, no matter how far I go." He placed both his hands on his shoulders.

Selema was silent for a few moments before she and Matt embraced again. "Thank you…," she whispered. "I love it."

"I'll always be there if you need me, Selema," Matt whispered back. "You can count on that."

"Promise me you'll come back…"

"I promise…"

Matt and Selema held each other for a little bit longer before they finally had to separate. The teen waved goodbye one last time to his friends before boarding his ship once more. He then started the engines and was airborne within seconds. Taking one last look at everyone, he gave one big final wave, in which he was greeted by five more.

Matt also made sure to lock gazes with Selema one last time, mouthing those same last two words to her before he finally made into the atmosphere…leaving the Dragon Realms behind once more.

* * *

Watching from afar, Ignitus couldn't help but smile at what he'd observed. "You truly are a special being, young warrior. I have no doubt in my mind you will return once more to fulfill your promise to Selema."

Ignitus then called over a pink book with a wave of his paw. He gazed through the pages thoroughly, his brow rising several times as he did.

"In fact," the wise dragon said. "It looks as though you and Selema are far from finished with each other. You will both need other for what lies ahead..."

* * *

**_THE END! *cue 'What I've Done' by Linkin Park* (sorry, but that song just fit perfectly with this ending)_**

**_Wow...what a fun ride this has been. This was probably without a doubt my most succesful story on the site by far. I think it's safe to say I've come a long way since I've first started writing to get a work like this. I never imagined it would last this long and get so much attention! _**

**_Also, because I'm always trying to improve, I'd like to know what you all liked/disliked about this story in particular. What was your favorite part? Could it have been better?_**

**_I'd be a fool if I didn't thank anyone and everyone who's ever read/reviewed this story. I couldn't have done it without you all, especially those of you who have stuck with me from the beginning, especially the following: Riverstyxx, Alec the Dark Angel, StarFoxFan11, wolfbladekeybearer, spyrolink, Solrac, scrin99, and a dozen other authors who took the time to comment on the story. God bless you all!_**

**_Well, what are my future plans you ask? Well, for now I think I'm going to take a little break before I begin on writing either a prequel or sequel to this story (the sequel being the more likely of the two). For now, I'd like to focus on my KH saga for a little while because it's usually lost in the shadows because of this story. Currently, it's on A Long Road, which also stars Matt as the protagonist. I would really hope you all would give it a look if you want to keep up with what I'm doing. _**

**_So for now...till we meet again. For good measure, thank you all and God Bless you!_**

**_Peace out,_**

**_Biz_**


End file.
